Life After a Robot Civil War
by bandaidmyheart26
Summary: post-ROTF. How do Sam and Mikaela get on with their lives after everything fate has thrown at them? This is a tale of the unexpected love between two people brought together by giant alien robots and their centuries old civil war. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is an idea that came to me after seeing ROTF for the millionth time. It takes place after both movies and is strictly about the relationship between Sam and Mikaela and how they go on with their lives after ROTF. If you're looking for lots of action with the Transformers, you aren't going to find it here. I'm not familiar enough with Transformers other than the two movies to write a big action story. They are still in the story, but are secondary and there isn't much mention of them. In the future, I may try to do something with them, but I haven't decided yet.**

**Please review and tell me what you think! If I get overwhelmingly bad reviews, I promise not to make anyone suffer with anymore of my imagination! :-)**

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How does a person revert back to normalcy when they've just returned from fighting in a robot civil war? How do they go on with their life knowing fate had led them into war twice with robots that weren't even supposed to exist? The mere thought of it is so outrageously absurd, but to have lived through it is almost incomprehensible.

For Sam Witwicky and Mikaela Banes, there wasn't really any question. After all they'd been through, they wanted to do what millions of other kids their age did: go to college. Because they had just saved the world, again, from the evil Decepticons, the Secretary of Defense John Keller had offered to pay for their entire college education. Everything was paid for, including a type of monthly allowance. Neither of the two would have to work the entire time they were in school. This allowed Mikaela to be able to go off to college with Sam since her family didn't have the money to send her themselves.

They were ecstatic to be able to experience college together and Mikaela had snagged a dorm room on the floor above Sam and Leo's room thanks to one of Leo's IT buddies. She and her roommate, Christian, had become close friends almost immediately and it was rare that Mikaela was seen without Christian or Sam with her.

The last two weeks had been hectic for them because just as Sam, Mikaela, and Leo were getting caught up from all the class time they'd missed, midterms were a week away so they, along with Christian, spent every waking moment studying. Sam and Mikaela had quickly grown frustrated at the lack of alone time they had which led to Leo and Christian being snippy because the couple was constantly agitated. All four were looking forward to partying with friends that night to relieve all the stress and tension midterms brought. Sam and Christian had taken their last midterm that morning, but Leo and Mikaela both had theirs that afternoon. They all met up for lunch, but went their separate ways afterwards to test or relax.

Sam had taken Bumblebee out for a drive while his girlfriend took her test. The poor Autobot hadn't been able to transform since they had come back to school. He had recently found a secluded spot that was hidden well enough to allow Bumblebee to transform. To say the least, the robot was overjoyed at the opportunity to stretch out. Sam had been resting against a tree with his eyes closed for half an hour when his cell phone rang.

"Hey beautiful," He answered.

"Hey you," Sam could hear the smile in her voice. "I'm so glad hell is over. Where are you?"

"I'm with Bee. I found a place for him to stretch."

"I bet he's happy, isn't he?"

"You have no idea," He laughed.

"I can only imagine. When are you coming back?"

"I figured I'd let him run around for a little while longer. How did your test go?"

"It was entirely too long, but I think I did pretty good."

"Good job baby. I told you you would do great." Sam was proud of his girlfriend.

"I'm glad you have enough faith in me for the both of us. Come find me when you get back, 'kay?"

"Absolutely. I love you."

"I love you too." Sam hung up the phone and watched Bee basically run around in circles for another fifteen minutes before he transformed back into his Camaro form.

Once back at the dorms, Sam went in search of his girlfriend and found her and Christian in their dorm room watching some random chick flick he had no desire to see. Regardless, he still did the dutiful boyfriend thing and lay behind her on her bed so she could still see the television. His arm wrapped around her waist and he gave her a kiss on the temple before letting his eyes fall closed again. Mikaela scooted back towards him to be closer, but didn't say a word. She and Christian were anal when it came to their chick flicks, and Sam had learned the hard way to never say a word when anything remotely resembling a chick flick was on the television. He was content to lay there in silence because it meant he wasn't studying and he was mentally exhausted from the amount of studying they had to do. It was more than an hour later that the movie ended and his girlfriend turned over to look at him with a guilty smile.

"I know you haven't been here long, but you've got to go."

"What? Why?" He asked confused.

"Because it's almost six and the party starts at eight. Chris and I have to get ready."

"Fine, fine. I'm going. I've missed you these last couple weeks, but if you'd rather spend all your time with her instead of me…"

"Oh, shut up, you," She slapped him on the shoulder.

Sam walked back to his room and found Leo passed out on the bed. Getting an evil idea, he leaned down close to Leo's ear and hollered "Decepticon!" just to fall on the ground laughing when Leo jumped off the bed and ran to hide in the closet. Leo realized it was all a joke when he saw Sam rolling on the floor with tears in his eyes from laughing so hard.

"You're an asshole, bro," Leo said pissed off. "You're gonna get it."

"Oh, don't be such a pussy. It was funny and you know it!" Leo threw the nearest thing at Sam, which happened to be Sam's government textbook. He'd have been hit in the head if he hadn't ducked out of the way at the last second.

"Where are the girls?" Leo asked.

"Apparently they need to get ready for the party at Andy's tonight," Sam said sarcastically.

"Go figure. What else are girls for if not to take forever to get ready?"

"Uh huh. So when are you gonna tell Christian how you feel?" Leo hid his feelings well, but Sam had noticed it a while back and was just waiting for Leo to get the guts to go for the girl. Leo wasn't one to have trouble with women, but apparently it was different when it was a woman he was actually interested in as more than just a fling.

"What are you talkin' about, bro?"

"Don't try to hide it from me. I've known for a while."

"Sonofabitch," He muttered. "Does she know?"

"I don't think so. Why haven't you told her?"

"She's always talking about how great of a friend I am. I'm the one she comes to for advice about other guys. If I tell her, it's going to make it really awkward and I would rather not." Leo's statement was the most emotional Sam had ever heard him get. Sure, he freaked out and whined like a little baby when they'd ended up in Egypt during the last war, but that was a different kind of emotional.

"I'm not saying this is how it is, but it could be that she feels the same way so she has to convince herself that you're just a friend."

"If you say so," Leo changed the subject. "How about some Xbox before we've got to get ready?"

The guys battled it out on the Xbox for an hour before Leo went to take his shower. They had a routine when it came to party nights. Leo always had to take his shower first because he was as high maintenance as any girl Sam had ever seen. It had been weird at first because Leo had to be in the bathroom while Sam was taking a shower just so they could be ready on time, but it quickly became a normal part of their routine. Sam would always holler to let Leo know he was done, and Leo would leave long enough for Sam to get out and get dressed. He could take a shower and get ready in the time it took Leo to style his hair and Sam made fun of him constantly for it. They were just finished getting ready when Mikaela and Christian walked in their dorm. Both guys' mouths dropped to the floor when they saw them. Mikaela was wearing a blue and white low-cut polo that hugged her every curve and a short denim skirt along with heels. Christian wore a black skirt and a sleeveless blouse that tied around the neck.

"'Kaela, you're absolutely stunning," Sam told his girlfriend as he gave her a kiss on the lips. "You look great too Christian, doesn't she Leo?"

"You look amazing," Sam caught the shy smile Christian gave Leo and immediately knew his friend's feelings were definitely reciprocated. "Everyone ready to go?"

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	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad someone out there is enjoying this! The song in this chapter is _Wanted _by Jessie James. Enjoy!**

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They usually always partied at Andy's because he had his own house and a pool table and it was no different that night. Everyone was having a good time. Alcohol was flowing through everyone's bodies and music blared out of an expensive system. Sam and Mikaela were playing pool and trash talking each other. Mikaela had one ball left before the eight ball and was taunting Sam for losing to a girl because he still had four stripes on the table when he went on a run but missed the angle on the eight ball. Both missed their next shots before luck was on Mikaela's side and the cue ball stopped in just the right place, allowing her to make her last solid and the eight ball to win the game. Sam shrugged his shoulders in defeat, not really caring that he had lost to his girlfriend. He looked around at several of their friends and saw Leo flirting with every girl within ten feet of him. Mikaela followed his eyes and shook her head at Leo's antics. He could be intense at first, but was a great friend. Sam took Mikaela's hand and dragged her outside to the patio off the game room where a few people were dancing.

"C'mon let's dance," She pulled him to the makeshift dance floor by his hand.

"Somehow I saw this coming," Sam laughed.

"Any excuse to be in your arms," She winked. At that, Sam pulled her closer and placed his hands on her hips as a slow song started to play.

"Darlin', you don't need an excuse to be in my arms," He whispered as her arms wrapped around his neck. "So, is Christian ever going to tell Leo she wants him?"

"Christian doesn't want Leo," Mikaela looked up at him in what was supposed to be confusion, but Sam knew his girlfriend well enough to tell she was lying.

"You're a horrible liar," He told her. "Besides, I saw the way she looked at him."

"Chris is afraid to tell him. Not just because they're such good friends, but because she thinks it would be weird for all of us if she did and it didn't work out. She's also afraid to put her heart on the line with him because of the way he is with girls."

"Leo is definitely into her, but he's convinced he's just the really good guy friend she goes to for advice about other guys."

"Well, hopefully one of them will get the balls to tell the other one," Mikaela laid her head on his shoulder and they swayed along to the music in silence. An upbeat song flowed through the speakers after the ballad was over with, and Sam caught the sexy smile his girlfriend gave him when she recognized the song. He thought she was damn sexy when she was dancing because of the comfortable, seductive way her body moved with the beat. The way her hips grinded against his was intoxicating to him and he swallowed when she leaned in close to his ear and sang along with the song.

_Put your lips on my mouth_

_Keep you comin' around_

'_Cause I like it_

_Put your hands on my hips_

_Take me down_

_Sink this ship_

_Boy I can't resist_

Sam began to move in time with her as she kept singing in his ear. Their eyes locked and everything around them seemed to fade away. Mikaela turned so that they were back to front and had her hand on the back of his neck as their hips grinded together. She kept her head turned so her lips were still close to his ear and Sam's hands tightened on her hips.

_I wanna wear my hair up in a mess_

_Cut off jeans, can you get with that?_

_Give you something like you've never had_

'_Cause I only wanna be wanted by you_

_I wanna tease you til you're beggin' me_

_And you're on your knees_

_And it's hard to breathe_

_And every other time is just a memory_

'_Cause I only wanna be wanted by you_

Every move the couple made seemed to light their skin on fire and Mikaela had to stop singing because the sensations left her breathless. They danced the rest of the song in silence; the only audible sound from either of them was their heavy breathing. When the song was over, she gave him a flirty smile and he captured her lips in his in a passionate kiss.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me when you dance like that?" Sam whispered against her lips when the kiss was broken.

"Baby, I know exactly what it does to you," Mikaela rolled her hips against his to prove her point and he ducked his head in embarrassment. "You do the same thing to me."

"Unless you want everybody here to see what I'm gonna do to you if you keep dancing like that, we'd better get back in while I still have a little bit of control left."

They walked back into the game room to find Christian and Leo locked in a fierce argument with an unfinished pool game still on the table. Mikaela looked at Sam in confusion before speaking up.

"What's going on here?"

"Leo's being an asshole because Trey was flirting with me!" Christian answered pissed off.

"He wasn't flirting, he was all over her!" Leo looked back at Christian. "Everybody knows Trey's game is to sleep with as many girls as he can!"

"Oh, because you're so different? You're such a fucking hypocrite!" She pushed Leo and stalked off towards the kitchen. Mikaela glanced at Sam before taking off after her roommate.

"What the hell, Leo? You can't give her shit about who she gets with if you don't have the balls to tell her how you feel!" Sam hissed.

"Look, I didn't mean to, okay bro? Seeing her and Trey all over each other just set me off," Leo pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You need to explain to her why you went off on her for something that shouldn't be a big deal between friends," Sam advised.

"I know, I know. I'll go find her," Leo took off in the direction the girls had gone and Sam followed after his friend. They found them in the garage and saw Christian's teary eyes as she and Mikaela whispered to each other. Leo hesitated for a second when Christian looked up and met his eyes before going into the garage.

"What do you want now? Are you going to tell me my skirt is too short or I look like a whore?" Christian asked Leo scathingly.

"You look amazing and I'd still say that if you were wearing sweats and a hoodie," Leo stopped in front of her. "I'm sorry for what I said. Any guy is lucky to have you, but you deserve better than Trey. You deserve the man that'll stop at nothing to give you the world, not the guy that doesn't give a damn about anything but getting himself off."

"Why was it such a big deal tonight? I've dated other guys and you never freaked out like this," Christian was still upset, but not as angry as she had been. Sam and Mikaela quietly walked out of the garage to give their friends space to sort out their issues. Secretly they were both hoping Leo would use the opportunity to tell Christian how he felt about her.

The couple hung out in the kitchen with Tyler and Colton, a couple of their other friends, talking about sports and cars while they were waiting for Christian and Leo to rejoin the party. Sam had expected the two to come out of the garage in good moods because Leo had the perfect chance to let his feelings be known, so he was surprised when Leo came storming out of the garage, through the living room, and out the front door. He and Mikaela instantly went opposite directions, Sam towards Leo and Mikaela to Christian in the garage.

"What the hell happened?" Sam asked when he caught up to Leo.

"I did what you said. I told her how I felt, and she completely blew me off. Said that I was a dick for causing such a scene because of Trey and then turning around and doing the same thing he did. She wouldn't even listen to me when I tried to tell her I wasn't playing games. She refused to even accept that I was being serious, even went so far as to tell me that there was no way she would ever date me because I was her best friend."

"Leo, I know it sucks but you have to understand that you have been just like Trey in the past and because you and Christian are so close, she's seen every bit of it. In her mind, you just want to hook up with her because then Trey won't."

"But it's Christian! She knows she means too much to me to use her for sex!" Leo was so frazzled Sam couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"Evidently she doesn't, man. You're gonna have to prove to her that you're serious. That means absolutely no more flirting with any other girl, no checking out another girl when she's around, nothing that you would normally do, but I'm telling you she's not going to believe a word you say tonight because you've been drinking and she'll think it's all the alcohol. Let's just go back in and have a good time. Everything is going to work out, just be patient. You'll have to completely change the way she thinks about you before she'll give you a chance, but I guarantee you that she will. Christian wants you as bad as you want her."

"She should know me better than that, but okay. Let's go have a good time," Leo started walking back to the front door. "Come on, I'm gonna beat your ass at pool."

Sam and Leo went to the game room where they began a competitive game of pool. He looked around for his girlfriend and Christian when they were back in the house, but hadn't been able to see either of them. Assuming they were still off talking somewhere, Sam hadn't worried about their absence and became engrossed in their game. When Mikaela came into the game room with a distracted look on her face, he had a feeling something else had happened.

"What happened?" He said softly.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. She's currently trying to show Leo she can do what she wants and to hell with his opinion," She said sarcastically.

"And how exactly is she…" Sam saw Leo staring into the kitchen and looked to see Christian and Trey making out. "Oh shit."

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," Mikaela muttered. They saw a pained look flash over Leo's face before he silently put his pool stick away and left; however, she was the only one who had seen the look on Christian's face when she realized exactly what she'd done.

"I'm gonna go tell him to take Bee and go home, okay? I'll be back in a sec," Sam kissed his girlfriend's lips and then chased after his roommate for the second time that night.

"What brilliant advice do you have for me this time, O Wise One?" Leo mocked when he'd seen Sam walk out the door.

"That she was fucked up for doing that to you," Sam shrugged. "I don't think this is a good idea. Why don't you take Bee and leave? You're not going to have a good night with her here after that little stunt and you shouldn't have to suffer because of it. Hit the bar or something."

"You're probably right. Thanks, bro," Leo took the keys from Sam's hand and left without another word.

Sam understood why Leo and Christian had reacted the ways they did, but he still thought it was a low blow for her to make out with the guy Leo had warned her about right in front of Leo's face. He felt the tension the second he walked back into the game room and knew that most people knew what all had happened by then. Trying to get everyone back into a partying mood, Sam told Colton to play for Leo and went on with the game as if nothing had happened. Andy's girlfriend Balie took Sam's place when the first game was over and Sam sat down next to Mikaela on the couch where she was talking to Rachael and Callie, a couple of the other girls that were there. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and tilted his head back on the top of the couch. The last few hours had stressed him out and it pissed him off because he'd come to party and get rid of all the stress he already had from their midterms.

Mikaela put her hand on his leg in an effort to help relax him because she knew he was agitated. She didn't blame him because the whole thing had made her mad as well. Her best friend had done something incredibly stupid and the two were now avoiding each other because Mikaela knew she was likely to tear Christian's head off for being a bitch and Christian knew it as well.

"Baby, what do you say we go back outside?" She asked Sam softly. He nodded and led her out to the patio.

Another slow song was playing, so he pulled her close to him and gently kissed her lips. Recognizing the love song on the radio, Sam moved his head back until she could look into his eyes and softly sang to her. As it often did when they were together, the world around them fell away until all they could see and hear was each other. They'd been together so long and had been through so much that they were comfortable with not needing to talk to each other. Even as the music changed to faster songs, they stayed in their embrace.

"So much for partying, huh?" Sam asked sardonically.

"I had fun dancing earlier," Mikaela replied sweetly.

"I enjoyed the hell out of that," He laughed. "It was hot."

When another fast song came on, Mikaela started moving against him again. Sam smiled wickedly and spun her around so that he was behind her and put his hands against her pelvic bone. Her hands were on the back of his head tugging at his hair. She turned her head back to wink at him before sliding down his body to her knees. Sam lifted her arm up to his shoulder, gliding his hand up her arm. The couple moved in sync; every time one stepped back, the other stepped forward so they were touching again. Mikaela took great enjoyment in watching Sam's face every time she rolled her hips into his. In retaliation to her teasing, Sam ran his hand down her neck through the valley of her breasts until it rested on the waistline of her skirt.

"Don't light the match if you can't handle the fire," Mikaela said breathlessly in his ear.

"I like it hot," He replied against her neck, his lips on her skin sending tingles through her body.

Mikaela took his statement as a challenge to see how far she could push him until he broke. Her movements became more precise, a little more forceful, and she kept her eyes locked on his the entire time. What she hadn't counted on, however, was that he gave it back every bit as good as she did. They were soon both breathing hard from the arousal coursing through their bodies, but neither of them wanted to give in. Mikaela knew, though, that they were both pushing too far with reckless abandon when she heard Sam groan.

"Sam, we've gotta stop. If we don't now, we won't be able to and this is hardly the place to take this any farther," She said softly. She knew the disappointed look on his face matched that of her own, but he nodded and sat down in a lawn chair in the corner of the patio. Sam pulled his girlfriend down onto his lap where she laid her head on his shoulder, but they both stayed silent as they tried to calm their hormones down.

"Baby, look, it's Orion's Belt!" Mikaela pointed towards the sky.

"Oh, God, don't say that. I don't even want to think about it," He whined.

"Well, if I had my girlfriend alone sitting under the stars surrounded by amazing pyramids and was too scared to tell her that I loved her, I wouldn't want to think about it either."

"You're just a regular comedian, aren't you?" Sam muttered.

A few minutes later, they walked back into the house to find that Tyler and Colton were the only other people there besides Sam and Mikaela and Andy, of course.

"Where's Balie?" Mikaela asked Andy when she noticed his girlfriend missing.

"Putting Christian to bed. She got wasted while you guys were outside. Balie thought it would be better if she stayed here because of what happened." He answered.

"Well, fellas, it's getting late. We're gonna head out," Sam said.

He took Mikaela by the hand and together they walked out the front door to where Bee was waiting for them. Sam opened the passenger side door for Mikaela and helped her in before jogging to the driver's side and getting in himself. After they got back to the dorms, Sam walked his girlfriend to her door and kissed her goodnight before going to his own dorm room. He was just about to let himself in when he saw the rubber band around the door knob and heard sounds coming from inside the room. Shaking his head, he turned around and went back to Mikaela's room.

"Baby, what are you doing here?" She asked when she answered the door.

"Leo has some girl in the room with him. I almost walked in on them." Sam grimaced. "Can I stay with you?"

"Why do you even ask that? Like I'm really going to tell you no." Mikaela rolled her eyes. "Your clothes are in the second drawer."

Sam and Leo each kept a pair of pajamas in the girls' room, as did the girls in the guys' room, for times like that night when someone got kicked out so their roommate could have a private room. It had started with Sam kicking Leo out and he'd had to stay with Christian, but it hadn't taken long before Leo and Christian were often the ones kicking the other two out. Technically it was against the dorm rules, but they hadn't been caught yet.

"Well you could say no. You don't have to let me stay here," Sam shrugged as he went to the bathroom to change.

"If you don't stay here, you wouldn't have anywhere else to go. Besides, I like it when you stay with me," She changed into a pair of shorts, not really worried about Sam seeing her in her bra and shorts that barely covered her butt. He'd seen her in less several times before.

"Oh, you do, do you?" He asked after coming out of the bathroom in his pajamas.

"Don't try and pretend you don't like it. I know better," Mikaela smirked.

"Baby, I love anything that includes being with you," He said smoothly while he crawled in the bed and lay with his back to the wall.

"That's what I thought," She said smugly and walked over to the light switch to turn the light off. "And quit staring at my ass!"

"I would never do such a thing," Sam said innocently.

"Yeah, okay," was her sarcastic reply. She lay down on her back next to him and his arm instinctively wrapped around her waist.

"I can't believe you would think so little of me!" He held his hand over his heart in mock astonishment.

"You're so full of shit," Mikaela laughed. She turned her head and gave him a quick kiss.

"And you love it, darlin'." The couple was silent for the next several minutes just enjoying being together. It wasn't all that often that they were able to spend the night together, because it always inconvenienced Christian or Leo and neither wanted to take advantage of their friends.

"Did you ever think we'd be here together?" Mikaela asked softly.

"Here as in how?"

"In college and still together."

"In some ways yes, and in other ways no. I never thought we would ever be together, but fate stepped in and after all we've gone through, it doesn't surprise me that we are still dating."

"I'm still glad I got in the car with you," She smiled.

"Even if I was the strangest boy you'd ever met?"

"You're still the strangest boy I've ever met," Sam pouted. "But you're also the only man who has given me the world."

"I'd do anything for you," He kissed her temple.

"I know you would," Mikaela's words had started slurring because she was almost asleep.

"Good night. I love you, baby," Sam whispered in her ear.

"I love you too," She'd just barely finished her statement before she was out like a light.


	3. Chapter 3

**Just in case you don't know, I don't own Transformers! I'd just be happy with a new Camaro even if it wasn't actually a robot in disguise :-)**

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! Hope y'all enjoy this one**

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The next morning, Mikaela woke up to the shower running and an empty bed. She smiled when she heard him singing off key to a song on the radio and got up to go brush her teeth. Sam immediately shut up the second she opened the bathroom door, and she bit her tongue to keep from laughing because she knew it would embarrass him. He had sang to her before and wasn't really a bad singer, but he'd told her once that he sang really bad when he first woke up and refused to let anyone hear him. How nobody heard him when he sang so loud she didn't know, but Mikaela wasn't going to say anything when she knew he was so self-conscious about it. Instead she pretended like she hadn't heard, and started brushing her teeth. When the water turned off, she caught Sam's eye in the mirror but didn't turn around.

"Hey sexy," She smiled when he blushed.

"Mornin', beautiful. Did I wake you up?"

"Of course not. What'd you wake up so early for?" Sam normally never woke up before 11 and it was barely past 9:30.

"I had to pee," Mikaela laughed. "Since you were still asleep, I figured I'd take a quick shower."

Mikaela watched him in the mirror as he walked up to her and put his arms around her waist. She tilted her head back and met his lips with hers and they shared a deep kiss. She pulled back a minute later and leaned against his chest. These were the moments she loved the most; just him and her together. Every other relationship she'd been in, she'd always felt like she had to impress the guy and do certain things or act a certain way. With Sam, she could be exactly who she was and he would love her just the same. It didn't matter if she was in her pajamas with no makeup on and her hair all over the place, he would still smile at her like she was the most gorgeous woman in the entire world. He was the first boyfriend she'd ever stayed with over night, and the first to see her first thing in the morning.

Sam kissed her forehead before walking out of the bathroom in a pair of basketball shorts. After the first time he'd used her bathroom to take a shower, Sam had made her keep some of his soap and shampoo in her bathroom because he had had to use her soap and ended up smelling like a girl. On Mikaela, he thought it was intoxicating but on him it was just plain weird.

He turned the TV on and sat on her bed when he saw her get some clothes and go back into the bathroom so she could take a shower. Since it was still early in the morning, the only shows on were cartoons and talk shows. His eyes lit up when he saw the name of a cartoon he hadn't seen since he was little and flipped to the channel to watch it. It had been his favorite show and had no idea that they still aired it. At the very least, he wasn't stuck watching some dumb talk show even if the cartoon was very obviously aimed at eight- and nine-year-old boys. Sam was so engrossed in the cartoon, he didn't realize Mikaela had come out of the shower and was standing there smiling amusedly at him.

"Sam, what on earth are you watching?"

"I was just flipping through the channels," He denied.

"Right, so that's why I've been standing here watching you for five minutes and not once did you ever change the channel?"

"Okay, okay fine. I used to love this show when I was little. I didn't even know they still aired it on TV," Sam started blushing so Mikaela walked over and kissed his cheek.

"Don't be embarrassed baby. I'm not making fun of you," He turned off the TV anyway and sat up.

"I know. That's why I love you," He smiled.

"Oh, that's why? Here I thought the whole time it was because I'm so damn sexy," Mikaela joked.

"Baby, I love you for who you are. You are damn sexy, but that doesn't make me feel the way I do about you," Sam pulled his girlfriend down into his lap. "You look good. Got a hot date?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. See, there was this strange boy I met one time and he stole my heart," Mikaela looked into his eyes. "In a forever kinda way."

"Is that so?"

"Absolutely. I hope you're okay with my heart belonging to another boy, because I love him and don't ever want to take it back."

"Trust me, baby, the last thing that strange boy would ever want to do is give it back. You're the best thing that's ever happened to him," Sam said playing along.

"You've met him?" Mikaela smiled playfully.

"I have. He thinks he's the luckiest boy in the world."

"Next time you see him, tell him I'm the lucky one, would you? No other man has ever made me feel the way he does."

"I love you, 'Kaela," Sam said softly.

"I love you too," She whispered against his lips.

Sam had just pushed his girlfriend back onto her bad and lay down next to her when they heard a knock at the door. Muttering profanities under his breath at whatever idiot was interrupting them, he moved so Mikaela could get up and answer the door.

"Hey, Mikaela, is Sam—" Leo caught sight of Sam glaring at him from the bed. "Ah, shit, I didn't mean to interrupt, bro."

"You're fine, Leo. Don't worry about it," Mikaela said reassuringly. She could tell that he was still upset about his and Christian's fight from the night before.

"You look like shit," Sam said to Leo. "Did you sleep at all or were you up all night with whatever girl you brought home?"

"No, I didn't sleep at all but it wasn't because I was with a girl," Leo said cryptically.

"Well then what were you—" Sam stopped suddenly as he remembered an earlier conversation between the two guys. "Definitely glad I didn't walk in on _that_. I'd have been traumatized for life."

Leo had warned his roommate about his unique way of calming himself down when he was upset or angry. As a teenager, he'd had anger management issues, and had only been able to find one way to handle the emotion in a productive way. Sam's mom would call it his "happy time" or his "special alone time" if she was there, but luckily the elder Witwicky was on the other side of the country because that would've been more awkward than the incident in Sam's room when Mikaela was hiding behind a chair right after they had met all of the Autobots. Mikaela looked back and forth between the two guys, knowing there was a silent conversation going on, but decided not to question it when she saw the pleading look on Leo's face.

"Guys, why don't we go have some fun?" Mikaela asked.

"I'm down as long as it doesn't involve alcohol. I drank enough for the three of us last night," Leo grimaced.

"You dumbass, it's not even noon yet. Of course there's not going to be alcohol," Sam said sarcastically.

"I was thinking more along the lines of go-karts and miniature golf. Something really childish to let us forget all the bullshit for a while," Sam smiled at his girlfriend's cheesy idea as he walked over to her closet to find a shirt to wear.

They all agreed on Mikaela's idea and headed out to Sam's robot car. Sam chuckled when Mikaela ran to Bee and jumped in the driver's seat before he or Leo had even made it to the car.

"And she says I'm the strange one?" He said to Leo out of the side of his mouth. Sam slid into the passenger seat after Leo got into the backseat.

Mikaela gave her boyfriend an excited smile as she turned the car on. For a woman who loved cars as much as she did, being behind the wheel of a powerful machine like Sam's Camaro was a little slice of heaven. It was impossible to tell that the only place Mikaela was truly comfortable was under the hood or behind the wheel by the way she carried herself and the confidence she exuded. Putting the car in gear, she peeled out of the parking lot and sped around the corner laughing when she saw the force throw Leo across the backseat because he hadn't been paying attention. Leo started cussing at her in Spanish, which only resulted in Mikaela laughing harder. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Sam was holding back laughter too. After Leo finally finished his tirade against Mikaela, she slowed down and quit driving so recklessly because she knew he'd start crying and screaming if she scared him too bad.

They got to the go-kart track half an hour later and immediately jumped into the little karts. There were several tracks closer to the college, but had decided to go to this one because it had a miniature golf course and laser tag. If they were going to spend half the day doing something they had done in elementary and middle school, Mikaela figured they may as well do it all. They raced around the track, recklessly fighting to be in the lead. Mikaela got knocked around by the guys just as much as they did to each other. She was glad Sam didn't insist on treating her like she would break if he was too rough. The couple was well known for their brutal wrestling that always seemed to turn into extremely passionate make out sessions. Their friends had seen it happen enough that they always left the room or told Sam and Mikaela to take it somewhere else when they started wrestling with each other.

Sam and Leo were so deep in concentration on keeping each other from taking the lead and winning that neither saw Mikaela fly around them until she was already well ahead of them. Leo pulled in second behind her and Sam in last. He laughed when Sam jokingly stomped his foot and started pouting because he'd been last. Mikaela joined in and started making crying noises until Sam sat down on a bench and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Don't be such a baby," She said as she sat down next to him. "Besides, as your girlfriend, don't I get a victory kiss?"

"I don't know about that. You're kinda mean," Sam smiled. Mikaela pushed him with her shoulder. She got up to walk away when Sam stood up and pulled her back to him and gave her as passionate of a kiss as he could in public. "Congratulations, baby."

"Mmm, if that's what I get for winning, I'm never losing again," Mikaela said breathlessly.

"Don't be so sure of yourself," Sam teased. "You'll be repaying the favor more than once today."

"Hey!" Leo interrupted the couple's bantering. "We're here to have fun, not sit and pout on a bench because you came in last."

Sam shoved Leo, causing him to laugh, and the three went off in the direction of the miniature golf course. They didn't even make it through the first hole before they were all laughing hysterically at how bad each of them stunk. Mikaela had to lean on Sam because she was laughing so hard when Leo hit the ball too hard causing it to come off the ground and ricochet off a statue and hit him in the head. Fortunately, there were no little kids around to hear the multitude of obscenities that flew from his mouth.

When it was Mikaela's turn on the next hole, she smirked at Leo after he glared at her because she'd made a hole in one. Sam knew how horrible he was, so he was more than happy to stand back and watch the other two taunt each other as they played the next several holes.

"Oh, come on Leo you don't want to get beat by a girl do you?" Mikaela mocked.

"Trust me, I won't," Leo said confidently. He turned and flashed a smug grin at her when he matched her hole in one with one of his own.

"I don't know why you guys are worried about beating each other. Neither of you has the skill to beat me," Sam said with a sarcastic smirk.

"Yes, let's all bow to the master," Mikaela rolled her eyes.

"Baby, you can be my master any day," Sam whispered seductively in her ear.

"You're such a pervert Sam!" She said laughing and elbowed his stomach.

"Don't try and act all innocent sunshine. You know you love me."

"You're right. I do love you," Mikaela kissed his cheek before taking her turn so Leo wouldn't start whining.

They were on the last hole when Sam's phone rang. Looking at the screen, he saw that it was Christian. Mikaela and Leo were too engrossed in the game to notice the ringing, so he stood off to the side to answer it.

"Hello," Sam said flatly.

"Sam," He almost felt sorry for her because of how upset she sounded, but was still mad for what she'd done to Leo.

"What's up?"

"Where are you guys?"

"Playing miniature golf. Mikaela wanted to take Leo out to distract him."

"And because she didn't want to see me, huh?"

"I'm sure that's part of it but she hasn't said."

"Is Leo still mad that I didn't listen to him about Trey?" Sam scoffed in disbelief at her question.

"You really don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?" Christian asked confused.

"If you can't figure it out, I'm not going to tell you."

"What, his drunken story about how he loves me because he didn't want me to hook up with Trey? He was wasted. That was bullshit and you know it!"

"You are un-fucking-believable Christian!" Sam hung up the phone and noticed Mikaela looking at him questioningly.

"What'd she want?" His girlfriend asked softly so Leo wouldn't hear.

"She wanted to know where we were and if you and Leo were still mad. She thinks it's because she didn't listen to him about Trey."

"Sometimes Chris has to be the stupidest person I know," Mikaela said frustrated.

Leo joined them a minute later, outlandishly celebrating his win over Mikaela and Sam in their miniature golf game. Seeing his excitement, Mikaela laughed and gave him a kiss on the cheek as his reward for winning. Sam challenged Leo to another go-kart race between the two of them so they headed back to the track. Mikaela sat on a bench while the boys raced. After they finished their race, they all took turns racing each other and occasionally all three would race together again. Sam especially liked racing against his girlfriend because it meant at the end of the race one or the other would get a victory kiss. Mikaela made sure to kiss Leo's cheek each time he won, whether against her or Sam, so he wouldn't feel like a third wheel.

The trio finally made it to laser tag an hour later and wasted another hour and a half doing that. Because there were only three of them, it was always two against one so they made sure to rotate teams every time they started a new game. Mikaela was ecstatic that she was the only one to win by herself. Both guys tried to pretend they didn't know her when she started doing a ridiculous celebratory dance to rub in the fact they'd both been beaten by a girl. Leo couldn't take the humiliation any longer and picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder when she tried to do the Running Man.

"You're just jealous because you can't do it like I can," Mikaela said cockily.

"Oh yeah, we're _completely_ jealous of your mad skills," Sam tried to be serious but the scene had him doubled over in laughter. Leo stood back amused as she lunged at him and Sam took off running in the opposite direction, zigzagging throughout the complex. He had to grab onto the fence going around the property to keep from falling to the ground in laughter when Mikaela jumped on her boyfriend's back, taking them both down. Sam's high pitched, girly shrieks floated through the air and Leo walked over to them to find that the cause of his screams was Mikaela relentlessly tickling his sides and had his arms pinned under her knees.

They were all still laughing hysterically minutes later when they collapsed onto a nearby bench after one of the workers asked them to please get up off of the ground and act responsibly or they would have to leave the premises.

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**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I hope this chapter is as good as the first three. I have a lot of it already written, but then I went through and took out a huge chunk because it didn't feel real so I'm having to rewrite most of the middle to tie the first three chapters into the rest of the story AND continue writing the rest of it. It's really frustrating and the rewritten part almost feels a little forced to me, so I apologize if it's a little boring or not as good. Soon it'll be back to what's already written, and I promise it'll get better!**

**If anyone has a suggestion for a better title, please review and tell me! I really hate the title, but it was the best I could come up with. Titles are _really_ not my strong point. All suggestions are MUCH appreciated! **

**Oh, and reviews without title suggestions are still appreciated too :-)**

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Mikaela, Sam, and Leo stood outside the laser tag building talking and laughing as they took a break from the childish activities. The go karts and the miniature golf had definitely done the trick because they were all in good spirits and Leo's mood had improved from the funk he'd been in that morning.

"Guys, I'm hungry. Can we go eat?" Mikaela asked and stuck out her bottom lip in a pout.

"You hungry Leo? I was thinking we should race go karts some more," Sam smiled teasingly at his girlfriend.

"Nah, bro, we should play some more mini golf," Leo caught on to what Sam was doing. "But we could always do both…"

They walked off towards the miniature golf course and started laughing when they turned around and saw Mikaela standing there with her arms crossed on her chest and a full-fledged pout on her face. Sam jogged back over to where she was standing and picked her up and spun her around. Mikaela was smiling when he put her down and he leaned in to kiss her.

"Like I'm really going to keep you from food? You're my little piggy," The smile fell off his face when he saw the look on her face and her hand on her hip.

"Are you saying I'm fat?"

"Wh-what? No you're…I wasn't calling…that's not what I meant!" Sam sputtered and tried to reach for her but she stepped back out of his reach. "You're gorgeous, 'Kaela."

"You called me your little piggy!" Mikaela was trying as hard as she could not to laugh. She just liked to tease him and watch him shove his foot farther in his mouth.

"You are my little piggy," He smiled sweetly but she rolled her eyes and turned around. "Damn it. Baby, I'm just teasing you."

Mikaela was laughing when she faced him. "You're so easy, Sam."

"That wasn't nice."

"Oh, and calling me your little piggy was?" She threw her jacket at him.

"Okay, fine, so that wasn't the smartest thing I've ever said," Sam shrugged sheepishly.

"You wouldn't be you if you didn't stick your foot in your mouth all the time," She tilted her head up and kissed him.

"Hey, guys, I'm here remember? Leo, Sam's roommate?" Leo quipped.

"Oh hey when did you get here?" Mikaela asked jokingly.

"Funny. What're we eating?" Leo asked.

The trio decided on a little hole in the wall pizza place a couple miles from campus. They ran into Andy, Balie, and Rachael and the six of them got a table together. It was a lighthearted atmosphere and thankfully nobody mentioned anything about the fight between Christian and Leo from the night before. Instead, Rachael was telling a story about a drunk guy that tried to hit on her at a wedding.

"Reaghan and I were outside smoking, and this drunk guy comes out the front door and takes one look at me and was all like "hey baby how you doin'" and just looking at me like a piece of meat. His friend just kinda laughed it off and apologized to me before dragging him off to the car. Reaghan and me started laughing about it because we'd been having this serious conversation and all of a sudden here is this drunk guy hitting on me. We watched them trying to get to the car, and next thing you know this guy trips and falls and lands flat on his back. His legs flew up in the air so hard I thought he was gonna flip over backwards!" The whole table was laughing and Rachael just shrugged her shoulders as if to say "what can you do?"

"I've got one better," Mikaela sent Sam an evil smile. "The day Sam and I first met."

"Oh no," Sam groaned and banged his forehead on the table.

"This definitely sounds interesting," Balie laughed when Sam raised his hand and flipped her off.

"The guy I was dating was being a jerk, so I was walking home from the lake we were at. Sam and his friend had shown up and when Sam saw me walking, he drove after me. He'd even kicked his friend out of his car because he wanted to impress me. So he pulls up next to me and was all like "I was wondering if I could ride you home…I mean give you a ride home in my car to your house". It was the most adorable thing ever. He was so obviously trying to be smooth and impress me and he got all tongue tied," Everyone laughed harder when Sam banged his head against the table again.

"Aww poor wittle Sammy poo," Leo teased which made Sam throw a balled up napkin at him.

"Then to make it worse, on the way to my house his radio went haywire and started playing "Sexual Healing" and the car stalled. We're on this old dirt road and nobody's around, and his freakin' car goes nuts. He got all embarrassed and starts going on about how it was a romantic thing and he wasn't trying to do it. He said something about how we weren't romantic friends and then pops off with "we could be". It was so cute; I probably would've laughed at him if I hadn't been so pissed off at the guy I was dating."

"Hey I may have been a bumbling idiot, but I still got the girl didn't I?" Sam said defensively.

"You sure did," Mikaela smiled flirtatiously at him and kissed his cheek.

"You two are impossible," Andy said laughing.

"Should've seen them earlier at the go kart place," Leo muttered. This time it was Mikaela who threw a napkin at Leo.

"I happen to think they're cute," Rachael piped up.

"I'm so glad you guys are having so much fun at my expense," Sam said petulantly.

Luckily for Sam, the rest of lunch went by without anymore of his embarrassing stories. Leo had decided to hang out with Andy since Balie and Rachael were going to get their hair done so the six friends all went in three separate directions when they left the pizza place. Sam laughed when Mikaela jumped on his back but he piggybacked her to the car anyway. Rather than put her down, he maneuvered her so that he was holding her to his chest and leaned them against the car and kissed her. Neither was a fan of making out in public, so she broke the kiss before it got too intense.

"Well, I was thinking we should go do something, but if you're going to kiss me like that," Mikaela looked at him seductively. "We should go home."

"Nuh uh, that's all you get," Sam grinned wickedly. "That's what you get for making fun of me."

"Sam," She whined drawing out his name into two syllables. "It's a cute story!"

"Nope. It's too late now," He laughed when she gave him a dirty look and stuck her tongue out at him. "You're just digging yourself into a bigger hole, darlin'."

"You can't resist me," She looked at him arrogantly. "I bet you don't even last ten minutes."

"Oh, you're on," They got in the car and left the parking lot, but neither could decide where to go so Sam just drove around. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her try to tease him by stretching so her shirt rose up and showed her flat stomach. He clenched his jaw and kept his eyes on the road, determined not to let her win.

Mikaela loved needling Sam like this and was glad that even after two years, it still hadn't gotten old. She knew his stubbornness would keep him from breaking down, but there was no way she'd make it easy for him. Her movements became deliberate when she realized he was watching her in his peripheral vision, and he gulped when she scooted down in her seat and ran her hand down her chest slowly. So intent in teasing him, Mikaela didn't even notice where they were until Sam turned the car off.

Sam had decided to give her a taste of her own medicine by taking them to the mall because it was bound to be busy on a Saturday afternoon which made it easier to resist her teasing. He helped her out of the car, but after that the only time they touched was when they accidently bumped shoulders as they walked through the mall. There wasn't anything particular either of them needed, but Mikaela drug him into all of the major clothing stores and made him sit there while she tried on as many clothes as she could. Everything she picked out was revealing in some way or another because it would drive Sam crazy. He hated the mall and the only reason they were there was that he thought it was safe. In the last store she dragged him to there had been this sexy little black dress that she'd grabbed without him noticing. Mikaela had picked it more because he'd have to zip it up which meant Sam would have to come into the dressing room than because she liked the way it looked.

"Sam?" She poked her head out of the dressing room. "I need your help."

His jaw dropped when he stepped into the tiny room and saw what she was wearing. Mikaela smirked triumphantly and showed him the undone zipper to let him know what she needed his help with. Sam stepped behind her and the fire in his eyes was palpable when he looked at her in the mirror. He took his sweet time zipping the dress, letting his knuckles brush over the skin that was soon hidden by the zipper. For a moment they both stood still staring at each other in the mirror.

"You know, I could rip that dress off of you right here right now," His eyes stayed locked on hers as he whispered in her ear and they both saw the shudder that ran through her body.

"Who says it has to come off?" Mikaela watched as his eyes followed her hands to the hem of the dress and started pulling it up and heard the sharp intake of breath when it was high enough to show her panties.

"Nope. You're not winning that easily, baby," Sam stepped back to clear his head.

"Okay, seriously, do you like it?" All flirting aside, Mikaela loved the dress and really wanted to get it.

"I think we both know the answer to that," He chuckled until he saw the expectant look on her face. "I love it. You look gorgeous, 'Kaela."

"Thanks, baby," She smiled at him lovingly. "Now can you unzip me?"

Sam did as she asked and leaned against the wall as she slipped out of it. He couldn't help but admire her standing there in her underwear, but neither of them said a word as she got dressed. The sexual tension already had them teetering on edge, and one wrong move would set them off. Not that Sam had any problem fantasizing about having sex with her in a dressing room, but in reality neither of them was that risqué.

Sam paid for the dress and they made their way out of the store. He slipped her hand into his and pulled her to him protectively when a group of guys started whistling and flirting with her. Mikaela smiled at him gratefully because she hated the provocative attention. With the guys still staring at her, he leaned down and kissed her deeply. She gave him a dazed smile when he ended the kiss and wrapped an arm around his waist. They walked to the car without anymore incidents.

"You know what I love most about you?" She asked after he shut his door.

"My Witwicky charm? Or that I'm irresistible?" Sam laughed when Mikaela playfully slapped him.

"Because I know when you look at me, you see me and not the way I look."

"Mikaela, you're beautiful to me because of who you are," He said softly and touched her face.

"I love you," She leaned across the center console and kissed him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you to those who have reviewed! I'm really glad there are people who enjoy this! By the way, I still don't own Transformers. If I did, they would already be filming the third one! **

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Back on campus, they spent the rest of the afternoon in Mikaela and Christian's room. Mikaela wasn't the type of girl that wanted fancy dates or chocolate and roses. Not that she didn't love it when Sam surprised her with them, but she was so much more comfortable hanging out with him in one of their rooms with sweats and a t-shirt. Sam just loved being with his girlfriend, period. He still had moments where he couldn't believe that Mikaela was actually here with him, or that they'd been together for over two years. It was something he'd always dreamed about, but the social hierarchy in high school had dictated that he wasn't that lucky. Giant alien robots trying to take over the planet and kill all the humans had pretty much wiped out the importance of a social hierarchy, and here they still were—together, and stronger than ever.

Mikaela made the mistake of letting Sam pick out a movie to watch, and threw a pillow at him when she saw him hold up Mirrors. She _hated_ scary movies and Sam knew it. One of these days, she was going to make Christian hide all of her movies so he couldn't make her watch them. The thought of Christian sobered Mikaela's mood as she remembered the events from last night. Having had time to cool down and think about it, she wasn't as mad at her roommate for the way she had reacted but what she did wasn't right. Mikaela pushed thoughts of her roommate out of her mind knowing they'd have it out later whenever Christian got home, and instead focused on the boyfriend sitting down next to her on the bed.

"Don't worry, baby, I'll protect you," Sam said seriously but she could see the teasing glint in his eye.

"I hate you, Sam," Mikaela retorted but laid her head on his shoulder anyway.

The movie wasn't really all that scary, just creepy and gory. Sam had laughed at her when she hid her head in his chest during the part where the demons in the mirror had taken control of one of the characters and made her rip her own jaw off. Things like that just grossed her out. It wasn't like it could actually happen in real life, but just seeing it in a movie gave her chills. The people who wrote scripts for horror movies had to have some seriously twisted minds in her opinion.

Sam used scary movies as an excuse to hold Mikaela, even though he didn't really need one. He knew how she felt about them, and wouldn't make her watch something that would really scare her. There were definitely never any of them that were based on true stories. She would kill him if he tried to make her sit through one of those. He pulled her into his lap and captured the sensitive spot at the base of her neck with his lips. Mikaela sighed and turned her body so that she was straddling his hips. His hands were on the bare skin of her stomach where her shirt had ridden up and he moved his lips to hers. Sam loved the feeling of her fingers in his hair and groaned when she grabbed fistfuls of it.

They jumped apart when the door opened and Christian walked in. She rolled her eyes at the couple and got a change of clothes before going to the bathroom. Sam rested his forehead against Mikaela's shoulder and she played with the hair at the base of his neck. Thanks to her roommate, whatever mood they had was now ruined. Sam's frustration at the interruption reverberated off of him and she felt a small sense of satisfaction from it.

"We could've been doing this all day, but no you just had to get back at me for telling everyone how we first met."

"Go on, rub it in," Sam muttered.

"You poor little baby," Mikaela mocked.

"You're mean. I don't like you anymore," He said in a childish voice.

"That's okay. I bet there's some guy out there that can appreciate me," She got up from the bed and walked towards the door.

"I don't think so, darlin'," Sam spun her around and saw her smiling. "The only guy you need is me."

"Just as long as we're clear on that," Mikaela placed her hands on his chest and kissed him on the cheek.

She tried to move away from Sam, but he trapped her arms in between their bodies and started tickling her sides. He used one hand to hold her still when she tried to squirm away from him. Handfuls of his shirt were gathered in her palms as she fought against his ornery fingers. The water in the bathroom shut off and Mikaela tilted her head back and kissed Sam before Christian came out of the bathroom. They were both breathless when the door to the bathroom opened, but Sam stepped away when Christian came out of the bathroom.

Mikaela watched Christian intently as she moved around her side of the room without saying a word. She caught a glimpse of the other woman's face in the mirror and was shocked to see that her eyes were bloodshot and puffy. Her anger melted away at the sight because she knew how much Christian hated crying. Tears always left her feeling weak and she'd dealt with so much in her past that the one emotion she couldn't stand to feel was weakness. Sending a silent plea to Sam, Mikaela gave him one last kiss before he left the room to give the two girls some space. Christian stood unmoving in front of the mirror, every emotion written all over her face. Mikaela hesitantly made her way across the room and reached out to touch Christian's arm. As if the contact broke her out of her reverie, Christian buried her face in her friend's shoulder and began to cry. Helplessly, Mikaela wrapped her arms around her back and let her cry.

"Let it out, honey," She said softly as the sobs racked Christian's body.

"What have I done?" Christian moaned.

"It's okay, Chris. You can still make this right, it isn't too late."

"He hates me."

"Leo doesn't hate you," At the mention of Leo's name, Christian started crying harder.

"It wasn't supposed to happen like this!"

"You made out with the one guy he was trying to protect you from right after he told you he had feelings for you," Mikaela said dryly. "What did you expect to happen?"

"How was I supposed to know Leo would totally flip out because Trey was flirting with me and then tell me he was interested in me? I'm supposed to believe that I'm just a notch on Trey's belt but not Leo's? They've both had the same agenda since we got here—to sleep with as many different girls as they can. It's never been a secret they're only using girls!"

"As close as you and Leo are, you would really think so little of him that he would use you like that?"

"I don't know what to think!" Christian exclaimed frustrated.

"Maybe that he actually is telling the truth?"

"He sure has a funny way of showing it! First he jumps all over my ass for Trent showing an interest in me—"

"Because Leo cares enough about you to not want you to be with a guy that only wants to add your name to a list," Mikaela cut in.

"Then he claims to have feelings for me while he's drunk—"

"He wasn't drunk."

"Would you quit interrupting me?" Christian half shouted.

"You're afraid," Mikaela realized.

"What?"

"You're afraid of what it would mean if you believed him."

"Mik, what are you talking about?"

"You are crazy about Leo despite the fact that you hate any kind of emotion and you're afraid to trust Leo because you wouldn't be able to push your feelings into that little box you have and pretend they don't exist."

A fresh wave of tears hit Christian and she slumped onto her bed. Once again Mikaela felt helpless but this was something only Christian could fix. Her fears were a direct result of things she'd been through in the past. Nothing Mikaela said would change her roommate's mind. It was up to her to trust Leo and not let events from the past cloud her life now. In the short time they'd known each other, the two girls had become best friends and Mikaela would do anything to ease her friend's fear and insecurity, but Christian had to do this on her own or she would never be free of the past that held her back.

"Honey, I know it's hard but you've gotta trust him. If you give him a chance, Leo will prove to you that his feelings are genuine and he's not playing games," Mikaela knelt down in front of Christian and put her hand on her knee. "I know you've built up all these walls because your dad was a jackass. Don't let him control your life. You deserve so much better than that."

"How can I trust Leo not to hurt me when I can't even trust the one man I should be able to?"

"I can't answer that for you, but I can tell you this: Leo has given you more reasons to trust him in two months than your dad did in 18 years. Leo isn't your dad. Let him prove that to you."

Neither woman needed to say a word after that. It was up to Leo to prove to Christian she was more than a conquest and she would have to trust him, and herself, enough to lower her walls.


	6. Chapter 6

**Gosh, I can't believe it has taken me until chapter 6 to do this! I want to thank all of those who have reviewed:**

**GoShrks7  
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**You guys are the greatest! I was really afraid that this was going to COMPLETELY suck so it means a lot that you all have taken the time to tell me that you love it. A special thanks goes out to all of those who have set up the story alerts or listed me as a favorite author. **

**I've already got the next chapter done (okay, well technically I have several future chapters already written) and it is pretty important as far as Christian and Leo's relationship. There is also some Sam and Mikaela lovin' which I know you all have been waiting for! If I hit 20 reviews, I'll go ahead and post it. The next chapter is probably my favorite one out of everything I have written. So happy readin' guys!**

**...I still don't own Transformers. Dang it!**

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There was a football game that night. The team wasn't that good, but it didn't keep the students from having fun and being rowdy. Ironically enough, Mikaela wasn't really a fan of the sport even though the only guys she had dated in high school besides Sam had all been football players. Sam loved it so she went to the games with him as a trade off for him watching chick flicks with her. He was so boyishly adorable cheering the team on from the stands that there was no way she wouldn't let him go anyway. His rapt attention in the action on the field allowed her to spend time with Christian. She and Leo had made up before the game, but they both were still a little awkward around each other. Leo had followed Sam's advice and so far hadn't even glanced at another woman in any way that wasn't platonic.

At halftime, the team was down by several touchdowns. Their opponent easily overmatched them. Mikaela had suggested seeing the new action movie at the drive in when it became obvious they had no chance of winning the game, and Sam finally conceded to the idea. They had to stop at the dorms to get a couple lawn chairs since the Camaro wasn't exactly designed for four people to comfortably watch a movie in. The first movie was just about halfway over when they got there and the theatre was pretty busy being a Saturday night, but Sam was still able to find them a decent spot.

Leo and Christian sat next to the front end of the car in the lawn chairs and Sam sat on the hood with Mikaela leaning back against his chest in between his legs. He wrapped a blanket around both of them he'd grabbed from his room and was glad for the foresight because it was a chilly night when they weren't surrounded by hundreds of other students. Mikaela shivered even under the blanket and Sam tried to tuck her tighter into him. His cheek touched hers when he set his chin on her shoulder and he felt the smile cross her face.

"This is the only reason you agreed to leave the game," Mikaela said of their closeness.

"When it comes to football or having the beautiful girlfriend who is crazy enough to love me in my arms, there's not even a choice," Sam said and turned her head towards his and captured her lips in a tender kiss.

"Whatever happened to that shy, nervous boy who couldn't even offer me a ride home without getting all flustered and fumbling his words?" She teased.

"You happened," He replied simply and his heart warmed when she smiled happily.

Mikaela reached for his hands under the blanket and intertwined their fingers when she found them. They settled back against the windshield and watched what was left of the movie. Lucky for them it was a movie they had already gone to see, so missing the first half hadn't been any big deal. The four seldom went to the drive in exclusively to see a new movie. It was more a way to have a calm, relaxing time just hanging out away from the dorms. Most of the time they ended up talking through half the movie unless it was one they really wanted to see such as the second movie that night but they still usually had to see movies at least twice before they saw the whole thing because neither Sam nor Mikaela seemed to be able to keep their hands off each other. Sometimes they acted like an old married couple, and other times it was like they'd just started dating.

They tried to be respectful with Christian and Leo sitting just next to them. Normally it wouldn't faze them in the least, but the situation was already tense and they didn't want to make it worse by making out on the hood of Sam's car. During one of the rare moments they were actually quiet and watching the movie, Mikaela was distracted by the scene unfolding next to her. Leo had moved to set his arm on the back of Christian's chair, something he'd done a thousand times in the past, but had frozen as if unsure whether or not it was still okay given everything that had happened between them. Finally, he put his arm on the chair careful to keep the contact with her back at a minimum. Still, Christian noticeably tensed, but leaned over and laid her head on his arm after several seconds. It was the way they always seemed to watch movies at the drive in. The two had become friends originally because their roommates were dating each other, but had grown close because they were so much alike in a lot of ways.

Satisfied, Mikaela turned her focus back to the movie and the arms wrapped around her waist. Sam lightly squeezed her hands and kissed the side of her head. They watched the last fifteen minutes of the movie in silence. When it was over, the owner came over the radio and said there would be a 15 minute intermission before the second movie started and the four friends got up to stretch their legs. Mikaela and Christian decided to go get drinks and food for them and headed off in the direction of the concession stand.

"Those chairs are a pain in the ass when you're trying to get close to someone, aren't they?" Mikaela teased.

"Shut up," Christian mumbled and the blush on her face was faintly visible by the dim lights on the building as they stood in line.

"I love the drive in," For once, Mikaela decided to be nice and not tease her friend anymore.

"You just like making out with Sam on Bee's hood."

"I don't need the drive in to do that even though it is a bonus. There's just something calming about it that you don't get anywhere else."

"Being at the drive in surrounded by a bunch of people you don't know is better than staying in and hanging out with Sam or Leo and me?"

"No, nothing is better than staying in. I meant the drive in is more fun than anything else we can go out and do. Partying is fun, football games are fun, but this is just…I don't even know how to explain it. It's almost like, when we're here, I feel at home."

"Sometimes I don't understand what the hell you're saying," Christian shook her head.

The girls got a Coke for Leo and Christian to share, a Sprite for Mikaela and Sam, and two buckets of popcorn. It was the same thing they bought every time they came to the drive in. They tried to go to the drive in at least once every week, and had never missed two weeks in a row. None of the four ever brought anyone else with them. Occasionally Mikaela and Sam went without the other two or one or more of them would go with someone from the circle of friends, but it never replaced their weekly trip. The first time they had seen a movie at the drive in had been more a result of boredom and not having enough money to do anything else. They could see two movies for the price of one at a regular movie theatre at the drive in, not to mention there weren't any little kids behind them constantly kicking their seats or large groups of high school kids talking throughout the entire movie. It had become a routine because they all enjoyed the simplicity, and all four looked forward to movie night each week.

When Mikaela crawled back onto the hood of the car, she curled up on her side next to Sam and smiled gratefully when he pulled the blanket back up around them. The four were silent as the second movie began to play; the only sounds came from the crunching of the popcorn or taking a drink. Sam looked down at his girlfriend as he ate the last of the popcorn and was not surprised to find her asleep on his chest. Nine times out of ten, she was asleep before the second movie finished.

Sam and Leo shared an amused grin over the roof of the car once they got back to the dorms two hours later. Both girls had fallen asleep and rather than wake them up, the guys carried them inside and went their separate ways, Leo to Christian's room to put her to bed and Sam to his room, and retired for the night. After gently setting Mikaela down on the bed, he changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and grabbed a tank top and another pair of sweats for her. She was halfway awake when he turned back to the bed.

"Hey stud muffin," She gave him a sleepy grin in response to the pajamas. "I slept through the movie again didn't I?"

"You always sleep through the second movie," Sam laughed at the familiar words. They had the exact same conversation almost every time they got home from the drive in.

"Not always! I didn't go to sleep when we went and saw Fast & Furious."

"Baby, that one doesn't count. You were too busy drooling over Vin Diesel. Besides, that was like six months ago."

"Sam, it is Vin freakin' Diesel! Even you should be drooling over him!" Well, this definitely wasn't a normal part of their conversations.

"The only person you should be drooling over is me," Sam said childishly and pouted.

"Says the guy who dragged his girlfriend to a scary movie _knowing_ she hates them just because he thought the actress was hot," Mikaela said dryly.

"It was a good movie, but you wouldn't know it because you slept through that one too," A knowing smile lit up his face. "You're jealous!"

"She's not that hot." She rolled her eyes but the smile never left his face.

"You _are_ jealous, aren't you?"

"Sam, I love you, but seriously what are the chances of you meeting Briana Evigan and hooking up with her?" Sam got a hurt look on his face and she almost felt bad until she saw the corner of his mouth lift up.

"Baby, Briana Evigan could walk down those stairs in her underwear, but the only woman I'm taking to bed is you," He grimaced when Mikaela gave him a dirty look and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh, so now I'm just the woman you take to bed?" She knew what he meant, but he was just so adorable when he tried to dig himself out of a hole so she couldn't resist.

"Shit, that's not what I meant. You're not the woman I take to bed," Sam slapped his forehead once he realized how that sounded.

"What?" God, how she loved this man, especially when he got all flustered and tongue tied.

"Well, you are but you're not," No longer able to hold it in, Mikaela's shoulders started shaking as she silently laughed. "I walked right into that didn't I?"

"You're adorable when you're flustered," She slid her arms around Sam's neck and gave him a quick kiss.

"What I meant was she could walk down those stairs in her underwear but I wouldn't even notice because you're the only one I see," He smiled at her lovingly and leaned down to kiss her once more.

"I love you," Mikaela whispered looking into his eyes.

"I know," Sam smirked confidently and laughed when Mikaela swatted his shoulder. "I love you too, baby."


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's the chapter you have all been waiting for! Hopefully it doesn't disappoint because it was definitely my favorite to write so far! This chapter does have a slight sex scene, so if you are uncomfortable with it you might want to skip over most of the end of the chapter. **

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Neither would admit it, but Christian and Leo took to avoiding each other a lot of the time for the next couple of weeks. As a result, Sam and Mikaela weren't able to spend as much time together. The tension wasn't so bad that the four couldn't hang out together, and day by day they were slowly able to spend more and more time together. In the beginning, Christian would bail at the first sign of Leo and her falling back into the way they'd been before that party at Andy's house. They were the same two people they had always been, but there was now a hint of flirting that hadn't been there before. After a while, she got used to that new development; however, it didn't keep her from leaving when the flirting turned from playful and teasing to serious. Mikaela always chased after her roommate every time it happened.

Christian wasn't good at handling emotions. Her father had been an alcoholic all her life who readily admitted he had no desire to change. He was constantly degrading her and her sister and had blamed Christian and her mother for his alcoholism at one point. All of the verbal and mental abuse had destroyed whatever self worth she had. This was a beautiful woman with a big heart, but didn't believe herself to be good enough even now. Mikaela's heart broke for what Christian had had to endure as a little girl. On top of an alcoholic father, she'd had to deal with her mother's unhappiness. Her mother hated her husband because of his alcoholism, yet refused to kick him out or leave because she cared more about the big house and nice cars than her or her daughters' happiness. As soon as she had turned 18, Christian had moved out and hadn't talked to either of her parents since. The only person she stayed in touch with was her sister who was three years older than her.

Leo knew what Christian had come from. He knew living with parents who hated each other had robbed her of her self confidence, and that it had also given her a skewed perspective on love. Point blank, the woman didn't believe in love. Knowledge of all this gave Leo the ability to be patient. His own playboy lifestyle was another reason she believed the things she did. The one guy Christian had been able to give her heart to had been just like Leo and the asshole had stomped all over the best part of her. Leo understood it all, and knew he had to prove without a doubt that his feelings were genuine before she would consider opening her heart to him.

There was nothing he wasn't willing to do to prove it. Little notes were left in her room, in her textbooks, anywhere they could easily be hidden but would be found just as easily by her. The notes were just a way to let her know she was on his mind. It was almost amusing how easily he had given up his old lifestyle; it hadn't been a hard thing to do after he found out that Christian shared his feelings.

The object of Leo's affections was currently staring blankly up into the sky outside on the curb in front of the dorms. She hated that she couldn't just trust Leo. Trusting someone didn't come easy for Christian. The two people she should have been able to trust were instead the reason she could not trust anyone. It was obvious Leo was interested in her as more than just a one night stand. As a friend, it wasn't hard to trust him. He was one of the few people she could talk to about anything and he wouldn't judge her. Unlike Mikaela, Christian was the girl that slept with all the guys in high school. It never went so far that she had been labeled a slut, but there had been plenty of guys. Junior year in high school had been particularly bad; she'd gotten involved in drugs. Her dad had gotten worse, and she had gotten caught up with the party scene in her attempt to stay away from her home as much as possible. Most of the time it had just been pot, but there had been a three month period where ice had been her drug of choice. The first time had been the night of a particularly bad fight with her father which led to her sister's husband beating the hell out of him the week before they got married. By some miracle, she had never gotten addicted to the drugs and had completely walked away from the drugs one day when she realized that wasn't the person she wanted to be.

Brett had come into her life soon after that. They knew each other as friends because they ran with the same crowd. He was the star linebacker on their football team, and she was popular because of her looks. It was no surprise that they started dating. The surprise had been that it lasted as long as it did. Neither of them was known for a serious relationship; in fact, when it came to relationships, they were the same person. It was about the meaningless sex and moving on to the next person when the fun wore off. Dating each other should have been the ideal situation: plenty of sex without the worry of either one trying to turn the relationship into something that it wasn't. Except, that's exactly what Christian did. She had fallen hard for Brett, and surprisingly he did rather well at playing the part of a loving boyfriend. The problem had been that he was playing a part. He'd played her until she was blinded by his charm and smooth words. She wasn't proud of what she'd become after that. Once he knew she was wrapped around his finger, he reverted back to the player he was. Everybody, including Christian, knew what was happening. Still, she wouldn't walk away. There were nights he'd been with her and another girl the next night. Brett would tell her about the other girls, and it broke her heart but she couldn't let go. He didn't give a damn about her, but she'd given him her heart.

The final time had come during the weekend of her sister's anniversary in October of her senior year. Christian had gotten them the honeymoon suite at the fanciest hotel in town, but it had only been to have them out of the house so she could throw a party. Only a handful of people were invited: Brett, her best friends, and a few of his friends from the football team. Brett had been uncharacteristically sweet that night telling her he loved her and she was the most important person in her life. It was all a lie and she knew it, but it was what she wanted to hear. He'd even gone so far as to say he didn't want to be with anyone else ever, and she'd believed every single word. They had mind blowing sex that night and she was on cloud nine. Finally, _finally_, something was going right for her. Even now, she could still feel the heart wrenching pain that had consumed her when she had walked in on him having sex with her best friend less than an hour after they had sex in the _same_ bed they had used.

Christian had torn apart every ounce of popularity the other girl had had. It had been relatively easy to do so, and Brett had taken a small hit in his for a while but it had disappeared when he made an interception in the state championship to seal their victory. They never spoke to each other again, but the smirk on his face every time he looked at her told the entire story. He'd broken the one girl no other guy had been able to break. Surviving had been the only thing on Christian's mind, and she had closed off her heart and her emotions. For a while, it was all she could do to get out of bed and plaster on a fake smile. There hadn't been another real smile grace her features until Mikaela had shown up in Philadelphia as her new roommate.

"Leo isn't Brett either," Mikaela said finally. She'd been sitting next to Christian for the better part of an hour watching as the memories played out on her face.

"He's not," Christian agreed.

"I know you've at least acknowledged that his feelings are real."

"Feelings change, Mik!"

"Are you really going to let something amazing pass you by because you're too much of a coward to take a chance?" It was harsh, but had to be said.

"Just because everything worked out perfectly for you and Sam doesn't mean it will happen the same way for everyone else."

"Chris, you know better than that. I understand more than anyone what you grew up in, because I had shitty parents too. I did the same thing you're doing now when I met Sam."

"Look, I know how Leo feels. I get it, okay? I'm crazy about him too. It should be easy, but the thought of letting those feelings and emotions out…" Christian trailed off.

"At some point you're going to have to take a chance. You can't live the rest of your life like this. You're three hundred something miles away from home. Leo is proving to you that he's not leaving, and you're going to have to meet him halfway."

"I don't know if I'm strong enough," Christian said softly and averted her eyes.

"Chris, you're more than strong enough. If you can't believe in yourself, believe me on this. The fact that you're sitting here right now is a testament to your strength. After everything you've been through, you still survived."

Christian didn't reply and stood up. She and Mikaela went back to Sam and Leo's room where they were playing Xbox. With a mischievous smile on her face, Christian shut off the Xbox before running out the door. The other three simply shrugged their shoulders before following her footsteps into the hall down to her and Mikaela's room where she was waiting for them. Inside the room, Christian dug through the top of her closet before coming out with a box.

"Monopoly?" Sam whined. "Really?"

"Don't be a baby," Christian teased. "It's not my fault you always lose."

Mikaela noted happily that her roommate sat down rather close to Leo. Sam was always the banker because Christian hadn't been lying when she said he always lost. He could save the world from alien robots, but he was horrible at Monopoly. Of course, it probably didn't help that Mikaela would distract him with a kiss and Leo would steal one of his properties or a little of his money. Sam had figured out their little game the last time they played Monopoly and had vowed to himself that he would get them back. Since Leo and Mikaela conspired against him, he had gotten Christian to play along with him. All they needed was the perfect moment.

The moment came when Leo got up to go to the bathroom. As soon as the door clicked shut, Sam leaned towards his girlfriend and kissed her without making it obvious that every move was planned. Distracting her was easy. Mikaela was something of a kissing whore behind closed doors. He pushed her back until she was pressed against the floor. His tongue swiped across her bottom lip and she opened her mouth to give him access. Mikaela's hand was on the back of his neck pulling him closer. He forgot all about distracting her when she bit his lip. Neither of them noticed Christian roll her eyes when he groaned. Her hip was held possessively by one of his hands. A shiver ran through her body when his fingers stroked the bare skin that peeked out from the hem of her shirt.

The kiss was meant to give Christian a chance to mix up the properties Leo and Mikaela had bought, but all thoughts of their plan had disappeared. Christian had used their preoccupation to switch Sam's red property with her green property to give each of them advantage as they each had one of both colors. She had just finished putting their cards back exactly the way they were when Leo came out of the bathroom. Seeing the two unabashedly making out on the floor, he caught Christian's eye and they shared a knowing smile. It wasn't the first time the couple had mauled each other while they were all hanging out. When Sam slid his hand up Mikaela's side, taking her shirt with it, they both knew they would have to stop the couple before they started ripping each other's clothes off.

"How the hell does Monopoly turn the two of you into a couple of horny teenagers?" Leo asked exasperatedly.

"What the fuck man?" Sam growled as he sat back up.

"There is plenty of time for you to make out with your girlfriend later."

"Yeah, if this game doesn't take all fucking night," Mikaela muttered darkly. Sam smiled triumphantly fully aware that their interrupted make out session had left her as turned on as he was.

It had taken them a few turns, but Mikaela and Leo had quickly realized something wasn't quite right. They had properties they didn't remember buying and didn't have properties they remembered buying. Christian had only mixed up a few of a few of their cards so that they still had the majority of the property that had actually bought. The whole point had been to mess with their minds, throw them off their game a little bit, not to actually change the outcome of the game. Sam could have hotels on every property except for one color, and he would still somehow manage to lose. He was really just that bad at Monopoly.

Leo was going _nuts_ because he just knew that he had owned Atlantic Avenue and Marvin Gardens, but the only yellow card he had was Atlantic Avenue. Christian and Sam refused to look at each other because they knew they would just fall over laughing at the way he was freaking out. Immediately, he had accused Mikaela of stealing Marvin Gardens so there was no way for him to own all three yellow properties and be able to build hotels. His accusations proved false when the other three stated it was impossible for her to have cheated when Sam had basically jumped her as soon as Leo went into the bathroom. Sam obviously couldn't have done it either. Christian denied any part in the cheating and after all, why would Christian lie? She had nothing to gain by cheating because she was so far behind Leo and Mikaela that she had no chance to win. It would have been suspicious if Christian suddenly had the card, but it was clearly with the rest of Mikaela's properties.

The game finally resumed after Leo resigned himself to the fact that maybe he hadn't actually ever bought the Marvin Gardens property. Sam was, of course, the first to go bankrupt half an hour later. Constantly losing at the game was no big deal to him; he hated Monopoly. It was fun for the first fifteen minutes, but after that it dragged on forever. The game was so damn long. Surprisingly though, Leo was the next to fall out of the game. As expected, he blamed it on the stolen Marvin Gardens property because he had ended up buying the third yellow property but there was no way to prove his accusations. Christian and Sam obviously wouldn't admit that he had owned Marvin Gardens, and Mikaela couldn't remember clearly whether he had or not. The guys sat back and watched the two girls battle it out to the finish. It wasn't often that both girls did better than the guys. Christian was almost as bad at the game as Sam.

Eventually Mikaela and Christian called a tie. They were so evenly matched in the property they owned and the money they had that there was never any big momentum shift. Mikaela would land on something Christian owned and pay an outrageous rent because of the hotels, but then Christian would just end up paying back Mikaela most, if not all, of the rent she'd just received. Sam yawned and looked at the clock to see that it was after one in the morning.

"I think we deserve a kiss as a reward for winning, don't you Mik?" Nobody was more surprised that the question had come from Christian than Christian herself.

"Technically nobody won because we tied," Leo was giving her a chance to retract her bold statement but, damn, if he didn't want to kiss her.

"Oh, but we did. We beat you two," Now that the words were out there, Christian had no desire to take them back.

"Do I even need to mention that I've never needed a reason to kiss Mikaela before?" Sam quipped but Christian and Leo were too focused on each other to pay attention to Sam.

"Well, when you put it that way, maybe you do deserve a reward," Leo said playfully but his wanting to kiss her was written all over his face.

"Kiss me, you fool," Christian said softly.

Leo needed no further encouragement. One hand tenderly cupped her cheek and he leaned in to capture her lips with his for the first time. Everyone in the room was well aware that this was Christian's way of telling Leo that she was finally letting him in. It was a short, chaste kiss but that didn't matter much to him. The few seconds were more than enough for him and definitely more than he had expected. A shy smile lit up her face when he looked at her. Leo nudged her shoulder with his and she moved closer to him without consciously realizing what she was doing.

Mikaela watched the two with great interest. She was happy that Christian was pushing the lingering issues from Brett and her father aside instead of allowing them to hold her back from Leo. If anyone could understand Christian's fears, it was Mikaela. Their pasts were similar and likewise, Mikaela had been afraid to take a chance on Sam. Getting in the car with Sam that day had been the smartest thing she had ever done.

"What are you thinking about?" Sam asked when he noticed the faraway look on her face.

"That me and Christian are a lot alike."

"How is that?"

"We were both terrified to take a chance because we've been hurt so many times in the past."

"Don't tell me you were scared of geeky little Sam Witwicky?" He joked.

"I know, right? Of all the guys in the world, and it just had to be him," Sam's mouth dropped open at the resigned tone of her voice. She finally smiled and kissed him.

"That wasn't very nice," He grumbled.

"Baby, I wouldn't trade you for the world."

"What if it was me or Vin Diesel?" Oh, so they were back to that again. Mikaela pretended to think about it.

"I'd still choose you."

"His arms are bigger than mine," She remembered that day in the car when she ranted about her weakness for guys with big arms.

"That's true. You think I could get his number?" Mikaela teased.

"Don't even think about it," Sam growled and pushed her back to the floor until he was laying just over her.

All thoughts of Vin Diesel and guys with big arms were gone when his lips found the sensitive spot on her neck. Vaguely aware that they weren't alone, Mikaela clenched her jaw to keep from moaning at the sensations. She pulled his head up to roughly kiss him and nipped at his lip. Sam parted his lips to let her deepen the kiss. The feeling of her tongue sensually sliding over his almost caused his arms to buckle but caught himself before he fell on top of his girlfriend. Mikaela had a tight grip on the collar of his shirt as their tongues dueled. When oxygen became an issue, Sam trailed kisses down the column of her neck to her collarbone and felt her squirm. Smirking to himself, he gave the skin a quick, hard bite before gently sucking on it. Her free hand had gripped his bicep when his mouth moved down her neck but both hands were now flattened against his chest. Mikaela raked her nails down his stomach and around to his waist when she reached his bellybutton. He bit down on her collarbone particularly hard in response before their lips collided forcefully once more.

They were momentarily interrupted by the door shutting and they jumped apart only to realize it had been Christian and Leo leaving and not somebody else walking in. Sam grinned guiltily at his girlfriend before she leaned up to kiss him again. Mikaela grabbed the hem of his shirt and tore it over his head before leaving her own trail of kisses to his ear. Her lips on his ear drove him mad and she loved the feeling of power it gave her. Without breaking contact, she sat up and pushed them backwards until it was his back on the floor and her on top between his legs. His arousal was more obvious in their new position and she rolled her hips against his. The smoldering heat in his eyes stole her breath away. Sam's eyes were locked on hers as she ran her nails down his chest again, this time against his bare skin, and Mikaela watched as he took a shuddering breath.

Sam grabbed her hands and pulled them above his head before she could torture him with her nails anymore. The move caused her upper body to fall on top of his and he crushed his lips to hers. In the back of his mind, he knew Mikaela's lips would probably be bruised but he didn't care at the moment. All that was on his mind was the way her body felt on top of his. Mikaela saw the confusion in his eyes when she sat back on her knees. It was quickly replaced by desire when her hand moved between his legs and touched him. His hands balled into fists as she applied more pressure. A breathless groan escaped him much to her satisfaction when she palmed her hand over the outline of his arousal.

There was no turning back when she unzipped his pants and slid her fingers under the waistband of his boxers to wrap her hand around him. A sexy little grin lit up her face and her eyes stayed locked on his as she let go of him to push his pants and boxers down to his ankles and waited for him to kick them away. Sam didn't know it but Mikaela was well aware that his kiss earlier had been to distract her so they could cheat. Teasing him was her favorite form of retaliation, and she was definitely going to get hers tonight. Without breaking eye contact, she pushed her body up his making sure her breasts rubbed over his naked erection. Once they were chest to chest, she leaned down to kiss him and wasn't surprised that he immediately deepened the kiss. Her fingers wrapped around him again and she stroked him in a torturously slow rhythm.

If Sam had the ability to think of anything other than her lips and her hand, he would've lost it the second her lips found his nipple. Mikaela tugged at it with her teeth and the air whooshed from his lungs. She spent a few minutes teasing it with her lips and teeth before switching to the other one and repeating the same process.

"Mikaela…" He said breathlessly. Her lips were currently leaving a path of fire from his nipples down to the patch of hair under his bellybutton and his hand gripped the back of her head when she lightly bit the skin under the hair.

She was still having too much fun teasing him so she continued kissing from one hipbone to the other but made sure not to touch his erection. The teasing had him panting and she finally took mercy on him and her head hovered over him. Sam's eyes were half closed from the pleasure coursing through his veins. Mikaela watched his face contort as she gently raked her nails up the shaft of his penis. He let out a strangled breath from the contact and she took him into her mouth once his eyes reopened. The hand on the back of her head grabbed a fistful of her hair.

Sam almost came once she finally wrapped her lips around him. She had almost teased him too much and he knew he wouldn't last too long if she kept doing what she was doing. He tried to make her quicken her pace by pushing her head down, but she was determined to keep that damned slow pace she had. Her tongue swirled around the head and he saw stars when she flicked it over the slit. Every muscle in his body was tensed as he fought to keep his control. It had been a long time since he had felt so out of control, but her teasing had skyrocketed his arousal to the point that he felt like a nervous teenage boy about to have sex for the first time. Lying naked on the carpeted floor of her dorm room wasn't helping because as much as it burned every time it moved it was heightening the assault on his nerves.

"Baby, that feels good but…oh _fuck_," There she went flicking that blasted tongue again. "I'm gonna…you've gotta…I'm about to…"

The inability for Sam to form a complete sentence only fueled Mikaela's sense of satisfaction that she could so easily have such power over him. As much as she loved the power she knew she could only push him so far. He hungrily kissed her after she crawled back on top of him, but it was quickly broken when he pulled her tank top over her head.

Sam wasted little time in flipping them over and unclasping Mikaela's bra. The garment landed on top of his pants behind them, but neither of them noticed his good aim. Unlike his girlfriend, he had no desire to take it slow. Before Mikaela could even fully realize what was going on, his hand was kneading one of her breasts and the other was being lavished by his mouth. Her back arched off of the floor and she bent her arms backwards over her head to try to hold onto something. She would have laughed at his impatience when she felt him unbutton her jeans and throw them into the growing pile of clothes. He never could take it slow, but she loved that she had that effect on him. Sam placed one arm next to her shoulder to hold himself up and the other hand was making its way into her panties to her center.

"God, Sam…" Mikaela moaned when he rubbed his fingers across the bundle of nerves at her core. His smirk was not lost on her and she put her hand on her breast just to wipe it off of his face. When a finger slipped inside of her, she lost herself in the pleasure and let her eyes fall closed. Sam didn't think he could be anymore turned on than he already was, but his arousal hit a completely new level he had never even felt before just from seeing how he made her feel.

Since her eyes were closed, Mikaela didn't have any idea what Sam was doing until she felt his breath on her sex. Previously closed eyes suddenly shot open to find him staring up at her through his own eyes that were black with desire. Another finger joined the first sliding in and out of her. There was still an infuriatingly cocky smirk on his face as he leaned down and pressed a kiss her skin. Unconsciously her legs spread to give him room and Mikaela bit down on her bottom lip to keep from crying out when his mouth touched the most sensitive part of her body. Her hand was on the back of his head tugging at his hair.

"Oh fucking hell," Mikaela's voice cracked on the last word because he'd swiped his tongue across her clit. This was the first time he'd ever done this to her, but not for lack of trying on his part. The idea of it had never really appealed to her before and for the love of God she suddenly couldn't remember why she had been so against it.

Within a matter of minutes, an orgasm was rocking Mikaela's body with an intensity she never knew existed. As far as she was concerned, he could do _that_ again whenever he wanted to. Sam continued to coax her through the tremors that continued as she came down from her high. Even through the pleasure, she managed to roll her eyes at the "I told you so" look on his face. Seems his impatience finally paid off because she would have stopped him had she known what he was planning to do, although she'd never been gladder of her ignorance than she was at that moment. Sam pulled himself back on top of her and leaned down to kiss her. Mikaela tried to push him away when she tasted herself on him, but he wouldn't let her move.

"Sam, please, I need you," She moaned at the feeling of his hardness against her core and tried to roll her hips up into his. He smiled against her neck and sat up to dig through their discarded clothes for his wallet to get a condom.

"Fuck," Sam groaned when he couldn't find one.

"What?"

"I don't have one," He ran a hand over his face in frustration.

"You'd better be fucking kidding me," Mikaela growled.

"No, I'm not fucking kidding!"

"Damn it, Sam, you had to wait until now to find out you didn't have one?"

"Well, fuck, 'Kaela how was I supposed to know we'd go from Monopoly to sex on the floor?" She would've laughed at the disappointed look on his face if she hadn't been so frustrated herself. They had long ago agreed not to have unprotected sex because neither was ready for the consequences. Mikaela was on the pill, but they still wanted to be extra careful. Until now they had never had to worry about it because Sam had always had a condom in his wallet.

Mikaela sat up and reached around Sam for her tank top and panties, being careful not to touch him because both of their bodies were still on fire. She slipped her clothes back on and threw his at his head.

"You're sleeping in your own room tonight," Mikaela mumbled as she stood up.

"Baby, I'm sorry," Sam said contritely. She looked at him and gave him a soft smile.

"I know. I'm not mad at you. Accidents happen," She reached out and took his hand.

"This sucks," He pouted like a little kid that couldn't have the cookie he wanted.

"I love you," Mikaela tilted her head up and kissed him, but this one lacked the intense passion that their earlier kisses had. His arms wrapped around her waist and she laid her head on his shoulder.

"I love you too baby," Sam softly kissed her temple. "Good night. I'll see you tomorrow."

Mikaela shut the door behind him before calling Christian and letting her roommate know it was okay for her to come back to their room. Glancing at the clock, she realized with a start that it was almost four in the morning. She tossed her jeans and bra in the laundry basket at the bottom of her closet before putting on a pair of pajama pants. Letting out a deep breath to try to calm the arousal still running through her body, she fell back on the bed and was asleep before Christian ever even came back into their room.

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**Don't hate me! The no condom idea came to me and I just had to do it. It was actually really fun to write because I had the end all planned before I even started writing the sex scene. I know this chapter focused a lot on Christian, but it is important to know her history to fully understand the character she is in the story.**

**I hope you all enjoyed this! Please review!**

**Thanks to all those who reviewed the last chapter:**

**_Princessbm  
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**You guys are the greatest!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter! As always, thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter:**

**Knight56  
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**I'll keep it short this time and let you guys get to the good stuff. Enjoy!**

* * *

After their kiss, Christian and Leo had grown closer romantically. They still weren't dating in the boyfriend/girlfriend sense of the world, but they spent a lot more time together than they did with Sam and Mikaela. Obviously, the couple didn't mind so much because that gave them more alone time. Mikaela had actually refused to sleep with Sam for two weeks after the condom incident, not out of any anger or animosity but to ensure that he wouldn't ever forget to make sure he had one in his wallet. She had planned on making him wait a month, except that walking in his room to find him in nothing but a towel had completely erased all thoughts of waiting from her mind.

It was adorable to watch their roommates interact. Leo wasn't known for his patience, yet he was a picture of it when it came to Christian. Three weeks had gone by since the game of Monopoly and as far as Mikaela knew, the two had only kissed a handful of times. They went on casual dates to dinner or a movie a couple of times a week and Leo always walked Christian back to her room and kissed her goodnight. This was the same guy who a month and a half ago would only hook up with women that would easily fall into bed with him. He had no desire to take a girl out or romance her; it was about the instant gratification that came with a one night stand. Christian was changing him though. The guy who lived for sex suddenly didn't care so much about it anymore. Leo had even changed his cell phone number because so many other girls had it.

Christian was slowly coming out of her shell. She'd always been outgoing and fun, but there was still a reserved air about her. Leo in his own little ways was changing the way she thought about herself. Her dad and ex boyfriend had robbed her of her confidence, but Leo was taking the time and effort to make her see herself as the amazing, beautiful woman he saw her as. Thanks to Leo, Christian was starting to let go.

There was another football game that weekend, and Mikaela had told Sam she wouldn't go unless he watched The Notebook with her the night before. It was hard enough for her to sit through a game, but the fact that the team was horrible made it that much harder. He was going to have to earn it if he wanted her to go. Christian, of course, sided with Mikaela but only because The Notebook was one of her favorite movies. That and deep down she wanted to watch the love story with Leo. In the short time since she'd told him to kiss her, her feelings for him had intensified tenfold. She finally believed that Leo's feelings were genuine.

That is why they were found in Mikaela and Christian's room watching a chick flick instead of out at the club with all of their friends celebrating Tyler's 20th birthday. Mikaela would have liked to go out with their friends, but the biggest majority of them were all under 21 and couldn't drink. Andy, Balie, Colton, and a few others were 21 and would buy the younger ones a drink here and there but never enough to raise suspicion. Neither Mikaela or Sam would drink in public since she was still 18 and he just barely 19. Alcohol wasn't important enough to them to risk getting busted for it so they only drank at someone's house. Driving drunk wasn't even a factor for them considering the fact Sam had a car that could drive itself. Bumblebee was so protective over his charges that he wouldn't let either of them drive even if they had only had one drink several hours before they got behind the wheel.

Sam wouldn't admit it out loud, but all of his complaints over having to watch chick flicks were more for show than anything. He still preferred action movies or comedies but Mikaela loved them and who was he to deny something that made his girlfriend happy? Besides, watching the movies with her meant more time she spent in his arms. She was currently curled up between his legs with her back against his chest. He was a man and Mikaela was a gorgeous woman, but it went so much deeper than that. If she had asked him to go to a Hanson or a Backstreet Boys concert, Sam would have done it just because he loved her that much.

"I still don't understand the whole point of this movie," Sam whispered into his girlfriend's ear. "And you've made me watch it thousands of times."

"How do you not get it?" Mikaela wondered.

"Baby, I'm a guy. There's a reason we don't watch these movies. Explosions, wars, things like that we understand. Love? That's a whole different thing."

"It's about two people being so in love despite living in completely different worlds. It's about a love so big, so powerful that it crosses those boundaries. She loves him so much that she will throw away all of the safety and security she was raised to feel entitled to just to be with him. This movie is one of the greatest examples of how love conquers all."

"So this guy is in love with a girl who for all intents and purposes is way too good for him according to society?"

"Yes. She comes from money and he barely has two dimes to rub together."

"I know all about loving the girl who is way too good for me," Sam said softly and watched her tear her eyes away from the TV screen to look back at him.

"Sam, I'm the lucky one," Mikaela touched his cheek and tilted her head up to catch his lips in a tender kiss.

"I could argue with you on that, but we would just go back and forth and then you'll get mad at me for making you miss the movie," He laughed.

"Exactly so hush! Quit distracting me or I'll make you watch it again," She kissed him quickly one more time before turning back to the movie.

Sam had a newfound understanding of the movie thanks to his girlfriend, but it didn't make him pay any more attention to the movie. She had made him watch it so many times that he could probably recite it line for line if he really tried. Knowing how she was about talking through her movies, Sam laid his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. Mikaela would have gave him a dirty look for distracting her moments before if he hadn't been asking about the movie.

He didn't realize he had fallen asleep until Mikaela started elbowing him in the ribs. His eyes shot open to find her jerking her head in the direction of Christian's bed. It took him a second to figure out what she was doing because he was still half asleep, but he looked over at their two friends and was slightly shocked at what he saw. Leo was sitting on the corner of Christian's bed with his back against the wall and Christian was sitting sideways in his lap so that her back rested against the adjacent wall. That, although adorable if Sam was being completely honest, wasn't the shocking part. It was that they were kissing, but this was no short peck on the lips.

Mikaela didn't want to stare at them during such an intimate moment but she couldn't look away. Christian was her best friend and she was excited to see her getting what she wanted after so many years of not wanting so she wouldn't be hurt. They weren't making out like sex crazed high school kids; it was one of those time-stops-and-the-whole-world-fades-away kisses. The kind of kiss most people only see in movies. Even Mikaela could feel the emotion they were both putting into the kiss from the other side of the bedroom. Since the movie was almost over, she grabbed hold of the hand Sam had wrapped around her waist and pulled them both up from the bed. He let her drag him all the way to his and Leo's bedroom, knowing that to anyone else that saw them it would look like they were in a hurry to get to a room to have sex but in reality they were just trying to give their best friends some space.

As soon as Mikaela had shut the door behind them, Sam picked her up by the waist and twirled her around in circles. He always acted a little goofier than normal after watching one of her movies. It was like he had to shake off the serious mood. She wrapped her legs around his waist and giggled at his antics.

"How come you don't ever kiss me like that?" Mikaela teased her boyfriend. And so he did.

Luckily for her, Sam was still holding her when he gave her quite possibly the sweetest kiss they had ever shared. The kiss lasted until she playfully smacked Sam's ass which caused him to let her go. An evil grin on his face, he chased her around the room a couple times before she locked herself in the bathroom. Spying a water bottle on Christian's dresser, he hid it behind his back and tried to coax her into unlocking the bathroom door. Inside the bathroom, Mikaela racked her brain for anything out in the room that he could use against her but was coming up blank; however, it was Sam after all and he would find something. Steeling herself against the inevitable, she opened the bathroom door and was rewarded with a freezing cold spray of water. Unfortunately, the water hit her full on in the chest rather than the face considering it was Sam who was holding the bottle. It just figured that her tank top had to be white and Sam didn't stop spraying her with water until it was soaked all the way through.

"Sam, you perv!" Mikaela crossed her arms over her chest partly to cover herself and partly because the water was freezing.

"'Kaela, it's nothing I haven't seen before!" Sam laughed.

"All my clothes are dirty," She whined. "What am I supposed to sleep in?"

"I saw something on TV earlier that said it's better for your skin to sleep naked," He quipped.

"Nice try Don Juan," Mikaela rolled her eyes before going to her closet to search for a shirt to change into. She took the wet top off because it was making her colder. Sam was unabashedly staring at her chest in the mirror so she spun around and popped him with the towel on his stomach. Laughter bubbled out of her when he flinched and rubbed the sore spot where she had hit him.

"You're lucky I love you," He threatened and she smiled innocently in response to his dirty look.

"Oh no honey you're the lucky one. Not every man gets to wake up next to this," She waved her hands down her body in illustration.

"Be careful or your head isn't going to fit in your room anymore," Sam said dryly and she turned back to her closet still searching for a shirt. "Don't you have one of my shirts in a drawer somewhere?"

"I always knew you were smart!" She found the shirt in her dresser and pulled it over her head before shimmying out of her pants. There was a pair of his shorts in the drawer as well so she threw it at him. He kicked off his socks and shoes at the foot of her bed before changing.

Mikaela yawned and turned out the light before crawling into her bed next to her boyfriend. She snuggled into his waiting arms and smiled in the darkness at the soft kiss he pressed to her forehead.

"One of these days we are going to get so busted for this."

"No we won't. They haven't figured it out yet," Sam said confidently.

"Whatever you say baby," Her words had started slurring because she was so tired.

"You sound like your drunk," He laughed and pulled her closer to make her more comfortable. "Go to sleep sunshine."

"I love you Witwicky," Mikaela reached over and rubbed his forearm.

"Love you too," The couple was asleep within minutes of quieting down.

The next morning, Sam woke up to the feeling of Mikaela's hands in his hair.

"Mornin', Sammy," She said with a sleepy smile.

"Hey you," He replied before kissing the top of her head. "How long have you been awake?"

"Just a little bit."

"I love you," Sam captured her lips in a soft kiss. "In a forever kinda way."

"I love you in a forever kinda way too," Mikaela smiled up at him.

He kissed her once more before getting up and grabbing some clean clothes so he could take a shower. Mikaela's stomach rumbled so she got up to rummage through his and Leo's snacks to find something to eat when an idea came to her mind. She quickly wrote Sam a note letting him know she had gone back to her room to take a shower and get ready and would be back soon.

Christian and Leo were still sleeping when she opened the door, but Mikaela noticed with an amused grin that most of their clothes were thrown haphazardly on the floor around Christian's bed. She had a feeling there'd be a lot more switching rooms going on from now on, but she was happy for her two friends. Tiptoeing around the room, she hurried to grab her clothes and went to take a shower. At least one of them would wake up when the water started running, so she didn't know why she bothered being quiet. Just as she'd expected, Christian walked into the bathroom a few minutes after Mikaela got in the shower.

"What the hell are you doing back here so early?" Christian mumbled.

"Don't you think that's a little obvious?" Mikaela teased.

"Don't be a smart ass. It's nine o'clock in the morning."

"Yeah, well, some of us actually slept last night sunshine."

"I slept last night!"

"Oh yeah? So, what, you and Leo both just coincidentally took off all your clothes while you were asleep?" Mikaela laughed when Christian groaned.

"If I had known you'd come back so early, I'd have hid those."

"Don't worry, Chris, I'm leaving after I get ready so you can go back to your mad crazy Leo lovin'," She peeked her head out the side of the shower curtain and saw Christian blushing.

"You're a bitch, Mik," She pouted.

"And you love me for it."

"Yeah, yeah," Christian rolled her eyes and turned to the sink to brush her teeth and wash her face.

Mikaela couldn't help but laugh at Christian's mortification after she left the bathroom. None of the friends had ever gone back to their rooms to find their roommates in bed with someone and their clothes scattered all around, but with Christian and Leo now dating it was bound to happen again at some point.

She walked out of the bathroom fully dressed and ready to go half an hour later to find Leo and Christian making out like a couple of horny teenagers.

"Holy shit guys," Mikaela threw her towel at the two and laughed when they both jumped apart. "Couldn't you at least wait till I left?"

"You were taking too damn long," Leo growled.

"Don't worry I'm leaving in a sec."

She found the tennis shoes she was looking for and took her time putting them on just to annoy Leo who was currently muttering obscenities at her in Spanish because she was purposefully being slow. He threw the towel back at her as she was standing up and she flipped him off as she walked out the door.

*************

Sam looked up from the movie he was watching when he heard the door open and close. He raised his eyebrow at the mischievous smile on his girlfriends face and knew she'd done something.

"I know that smile. What have you done this time?"

"I didn't do anything," Mikaela said innocently but couldn't wipe the smile off her face.

"Baby, I know you better than that."

"Well, I may have seen an interesting sight when I got back to my room," She hinted.

"Was Leo sleeping with half his body hanging off the bed again?" Mikaela looked at him funny.

"Uh, no. He was definitely all on the bed, but there were some important things that weren't though."

"What?"

"Things like Christian's bra, a couple pairs of pants, his shirt," She started laughing. "Leo's God-awful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle boxers…"

"No way," Sam's eyes widened. "They did?"

"Oh yeah. Christian wasn't very happy that I showed up so early in the morning to take a shower. I have a strange feeling they haven't been asleep for long. They were almost at it again when I got out of the shower and I threw my towel and hit Leo with it."

"That's hilarious. It's about time."

"I know. They were getting annoying," Mikaela laid down next to him and kissed Sam deeply.

"Well, good morning to you too," He smirked. "You look stunning."

"You liar," She laughed. "It's just a t-shirt and a pair of jeans."

"I don't care what you're wearing. You're still stunning," He was rewarded with another long kiss for that.

"Uh huh, what do you want?" She gave him a knowing look.

"Well, if you're offering…" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Baby, you can't handle this," Mikaela said cockily.

In response, Sam moved so he was on top of her and attacked her neck with his mouth. He smiled to himself when he felt her pulse racing. Her breath hitched as he nipped the skin where her neck and shoulder met. He saw her grab the top of the headboard out of the corner of his eye. Sam knew he was driving her crazy without even using his hands. The power he had on her was intoxicating.

Mikaela had to bite down on her bottom lip to keep from making any noise. She knew Sam was basically just teasing her. She'd challenged him and he was going to prove her wrong. He was doing a damn good job of proving her wrong too, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing it. Payback would come, and she'd give him the same kind of torture he was giving her. He gently sucked on her earlobe and she had to bite down on her lip so hard she tasted blood. Oh, he was definitely going to get his, she thought to herself. Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, Sam let her earlobe slide out from his lips.

"I can handle you just fine," He whispered against her ear. His breath tingled against her ear and she couldn't restrain the shudder that ran through her body.

Likewise, Sam also knew what was going on. They were testing each other to see who would break first. He was also aware that Mikaela wouldn't let him get away with it and was looking forward to his retaliation. All he knew was that he'd driven her crazy using just his lips and anything she inflicted on him would be well worth it. She was still breathing hard when he leaned back on his knees and he shot her a smug grin. They both knew he'd won this round.

Mikaela laid there for several minutes, waiting for her heart to stop racing. She was too stubborn to let Sam know just how hot his teasing her had been.

"Let's go eat breakfast. I'm starving," She said when she'd finally caught her breath and could speak normally.

Mikaela pulled him up from his bed and waited for him to throw his socks and shoes on. Sam entwined his fingers with hers as they walked out to where Bee was parked. Sam took them to a small diner that was extremely popular among college students. Even that early in the morning, it was still packed with college kids so they had to wait for a table. Because it was so popular, Mikaela wasn't surprised at all to see a couple of girls she recognized from parties. They were well known amongst all the guys for being easy and willing. A number of Sam and Mikaela's guy friends had been with one or both of the girls. Mikaela was curious to see how Sam would react when they approached him with the same seductive smiles they'd used on so many guys before. Apparently they didn't notice Sam's hand holding hers or they really didn't care, she thought to herself.

"Hey Sam how are you?" The taller one asked with what Mikaela guessed was supposed to be a sultry voice. She thought the girl just looked like an idiot.

"Lydia, hey I'm good. Hey Tia," Sam nodded at the other girl. "Have you met my girlfriend, Mikaela?"

Both girls greeted Mikaela with a fake cheery voice and she watched in satisfaction at the way both girls' eyes narrowed when Sam wrapped his arm around her waist. They didn't stick around long once Sam made it known he wasn't interested.

"They want you so bad," Mikaela laughed.

"They're out of luck. I only like grease monkeys who think I'm the strangest boy she's ever met," Sam gave her a lopsided smile and squeezed his hand around her hip.

"Smooth answer, Casanova," Sam chuckled at Mikaela's remark and she kissed his cheek.

They waited for another five or ten minutes before getting a table. Both ordered a stack of pancakes and spent their time teasing each other and tried to see who could make the other laugh the hardest. Sam kept her hand in hers almost the whole time they were there, and Mikaela couldn't help the smile that seemed permanently affixed on her face. She knew he was making it well known that he was in a relationship especially after the two girls had tried to flirt with him even when he was obviously with another woman. Since they'd gotten together, he'd gained a lot of confidence in himself and she knew other women thought it was sexy because she did too.

At one point, he had a drop of syrup on the corner of his lip and she reached over to wipe it off. Mikaela saw the heat in his gaze when her thumb touched his mouth and remembered the way he'd teased her earlier. Knowing she was playing with fire, she locked her eyes on his and licked the syrup off her thumb.

She couldn't help the smug grin she wore as she watched Sam wave the waiter over to get their check. He handed the waiter a couple bills and told him to keep the change before practically dragging Mikaela out to the car.

"Oh, don't worry, you've got it coming," Mikaela warned. "I never lose."

"Baby, you can't beat the master!" He taunted.

"Baby," She mimicked his voice. "I taught you everything you know."

"I didn't even have to use my hands and you were almost screaming my name."

"The difference is I didn't," Mikaela ran her nails down his chest. "But you will."

"You sound sure of yourself now, but later? Later you're gonna scream my name long before I scream yours."

"Why, Mr. Witwicky, that sounds like a challenge to me."

"You're right, Ms. Banes. That's exactly what it is."

"Haven't I already told you I never lose?" She had a feeling it would be an amazing experience because both of them were too stubborn to lose. One way or another, the night would end with one of them screaming the other's name.

"First time for everything, darlin'. First time for everything," Sam was confident he wouldn't lose. After all, she'd been putty in his hands earlier.

They drove back to campus in silence and found Christian and Leo still in bed. Fortunately, they were both dressed and just watching a college football game. Mikaela rolled her eyes when she saw Sam sit on the floor and instantly become engrossed in the game. As much as he complained about how anal she and Christian were about their chick flicks, he was exactly the same way with watching football. Leo wasn't as bad, but he came close. The chances of either of them moving before the end of the game were slim. Seeing that the game wasn't even halfway into the first quarter, the girls decided to go shopping. Neither Sam nor Leo noticed when they left, and they knew one or both of them would be getting a call from a frantic boyfriend at some point. Christian thought it wouldn't be until the end of the game, but Mikaela expected to get a phone call during half time.

The girls took Sam's car to the mall. Apparently two gorgeous women in a canary yellow late model Camaro was a turn on to guys because they heard several catcalls on the way there. One guy was even ballsy enough to ask if they'd take him for a ride and Mikaela responded by peeling away. The attention boosted their confidence, but there was no temptation to act on it. Instead, the pickup lines and whistles were largely ignored, the only reaction from the two friends an occasional laugh.

This shopping excursion was the first truly carefree thing Mikaela and Christian had done together in a while, and both were excited to be able to hang out with just each other. The guys were great, but there was something to be said for girl time. As they flitted from store to store, occasionally buying something, there was hardly a moment where one or the other was not talking. Inside a store, the conversations centered on clothes and shoes but when they weren't, the conversations were filled with gossip or talking about Christian and Leo's newfound relationship. Christian was still embarrassed at Mikaela's unannounced arrival that morning and Mikaela took great pleasure in teasing her about it every chance she got.

Every time they went shopping together, it always seemed that they picked out more clothes for each other than they did for themselves and today was no different. One girl would see something for the other and hold it up to show the other. The biggest majority of the clothes each girl bought were articles the other had picked out. After so many times shopping together, it had become a normal thing.

A mischievous grin was shared between the two as they saw a lingerie store and went in. No shopping trip was complete for Christian and Mikaela without buying new sexy underwear. It was a guilty pleasure, but one that Sam enjoyed and Leo would as well. Once, Sam had actually ordered the girls to go shopping just so Mikaela would buy something from that store. He'd even paid for everything she'd bought. The couple definitely had fond memories from that night.

"So how exactly did you and Leo finally hook up?" Mikaela asked while they were walking around.

"He kissed me when we were watching The Notebook. We ended up falling asleep on my bed, and I woke up after you'd left 'cause I had to go to the bathroom. I guess I woke him up when I got up, and everything else just kinda happened. It's not like I planned to sleep with him," She didn't miss the satisfied grin on Christian's face. "But I enjoyed the hell out of it."

"You're finally together now?"

"I…uh…sure?" Christian's answer came out sounding more like a question.

"Oh yeah how's that workin' for ya?" Mikaela said sarcastically.

"I mean, I'm sure we are but we were a little too sidetracked to make it official I guess you could say."

"A little sidetracked?" Mikaela deadpanned. "I was in the shower and it didn't even stop you!"

She couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of her when Christian hit her with her bags. They made their way to the food court to rest and get something to eat. Mikaela wasn't as hungry as Christian because she'd eaten four and a half hours before, but shopping always worked up her appetite. The girls ate their food and had just gotten back in the car when Mikaela's phone rang.

"Where are you?" Sam demanded before she could say hello.

"Me and Christian left," She said simply.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that one out," He retorted sarcastically.

"Three hours later," Mikaela said in the same tone of voice.

"I'm sorry, baby," He said in a softer tone. "Where did y'all go?"

"Shopping. We decided to have girls' time while you two were having boys' time."

"Oh, I like the sound of that," He said happily. "Did you buy me anything?"

"I did find this skirt that would make your legs look fuckin' great," Mikaela joked.

"Ha, ha very funny."

"We just got in the car so I'll show you everything when we get back, okay?"

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you too," Mikaela hung up the phone and pulled out of the parking lot.

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	9. Chapter 9

Mikaela collapsed on her bed the second they'd walked into the room. Sam let out an amused chuckle and immediately moved to the end of the bed and started massaging her feet. She did this every single time. The two girls literally shopped until they were half a second away from dropping. This was one of the ways Sam was so totally opposite any other guy Mikaela had ever dated. No other guy was so attentive to the way she felt or cared enough to do something so simple as rub her feet after she'd been out shopping for hours.

She saw Leo follow Sam's lead and put Christian's feet on his lap and pay the same attention to hers. Christian sighed audibly and Mikaela understood the way the other girl felt. She'd done the same thing the first time Sam rubbed her feet.

"I told you there was a reason we keep them around," She said to Christian.

"Man, if I had known, I wouldn't have waited so long!" Christian gave Leo a sweet smile when he looked at her and pouted.

"That hurts my heart," He put his hand over his heart to prove his point.

"You get used to it after a while," Sam quipped and laughed when Mikaela kicked his thigh.

Sam's phone rang and she groaned because it meant he had to stop so he could answer the phone. He saw the sad look on her face and held the phone between his ear and his shoulder so he could continue massaging her feet. Mikaela closed her eyes when his hands started moving again. There were no sounds other than Sam talking on the phone. He hung up a few minutes later and was telling them it was Andy inviting them to another party at his house that night when his phone rang again. Mikaela looked at him questioningly when he got a confused look on his face once the other person started talking to him. She heard him tell whoever it was that he would be right there and slid off the end of the bed to put his shoes back on.

"Sam, what's going on?" Mikaela asked.

"I don't really know. I'll let you know when I get back," He said distractedly.

"Where are you going?"

"Where are my keys?" She pointed to her purse and he dug them out.

"Where are you going?" Mikaela repeated.

"I'll be back in a little bit and I'll explain everything," Sam gave her a quick kiss before leaving.

*************

Sam was at a complete loss as to why the Dean would want to speak with him especially on a Friday when it was just after five. All he really knew was that she needed him to meet her in his office to tell him something important. As far as he knew, he hadn't done anything wrong to warrant a meeting with the Dean but he had learned not to be surprised by anything. He got to his car and drove around to the building where the Dean's office was. He could've walked but it was a big campus and Sam didn't want to have to make the Dean wait on him. Sam quickly walked in the building and took the elevator to the third floor where the office was. The secretary saw him coming and instantly told him to go into the Dean's office.

"Mr. Witwicky, thank you for coming on such short notice," Dean Miller told him once he sat down in a chair on the other side of her desk.

"It's no problem, Mrs. Miller."

"I have some bad news, I'm afraid, and I hope you will understand the position I'm in."

"What's going on?" Sam was starting to freak out. He'd never been in this particular situation before, but he could only imagine that it definitely wasn't a good thing when the Dean told him she had bad news.

"There have been some complaints about the special treatment you, Ms. Banes, and Mr. Spitz have received since returning to campus," the Dean said.

"Special treatment?" He asked confused.

"Yes, Mr. Witwicky, special treatment. We allowed you to keep your car at the request of Defense Secretary Keller and the government, even though we have an explicit policy that does not allow freshmen to have cars. There are also the instances of the three of you and Ms. Ryan sleeping in each others' rooms. Other students would have been disciplined for allowing someone of the opposite sex to stay in their room overnight the first time, and eviction from the dorms after the third. The four of you have never been reprimanded for your actions because of your connections to some very important political figures. However, as I said before, there have been several complaints from other students and some parents because we turned a blind eye to your activities."

"Okay, so we'll start following the dorm rules and not stay in each others' rooms anymore. None of us realized that other students knew we did it. As long as we were discreet about it and didn't let it become public, we figured it would be okay. I know it's against the rules, so I will accept whatever punishments you need to hand out to all of us. I was the one that started it," Sam said sheepishly.

"I'm afraid it's too late for that, Mr. Witwicky. The board has fielded several complaints, and they won't let this go anymore. There is proof that it has happened a number of times with no disciplinary action taken. I have tried everything I could to avoid this, but there has been threat of legal actions on grounds of discrimination, and I have to take action," Sam had a sinking feeling he knew what was coming.

"As per campus policy, the four of you will have give up your rooms and move out of the dormitory. You will not be allowed to live on campus for the remainder of the year, and your applications will have to be approved by the board before you can live on campus again. You have 72 hours to remove yourself and your belongings from your rooms, and anything remaining after that time period becomes property of the university and it is at our discretion whether those items are returned to you or not," Dean Miller looked sadly at him. "I'm sorry Mr. Witwicky, but your choices have left us no other option."

"I understand, and I apologize that our irresponsibility jeopardized the reputation of the university. We never intended to take advantage of our situation and who we know," Sam stood and shook the Dean's hand. "I assure you we will be gone by Monday and there will be no more trouble from us."

"One more thing, Mr. Witwicky. Mr. Keller has been apprised of your situation and is not happy about it. He personally met with the board to try to diffuse the situation, and wants to meet with you to determine whether or not to rescind Ms. Banes' and your scholarships," There was a knock on the door as if on cue. The Defense Secretary walked in, and Sam knew he was in trouble.

"Mrs. Miller, thank you for lending me your office. I assure you this won't take long. Sam, stay seated," He shook the Dean's hand and shut her office door before taking a seat in the chair she had just vacated.

"Mr. Keller, I'm extremely sorry about this. We were irresponsible and didn't think about the repercussions."

"To say that I am disappointed is an understatement. However, I cannot in good conscience allow you and your friends to have no place to live, not after what you've done for this country and the rest of the world," He pulled a set of keys out of his suit pocket. "I am not condoning your behavior nor will I bail you out again. Any other incidents and both of you will lose your scholarships. Consider this your one warning. You and Ms. Banes are now on probation through the end of the year. One more mistake, Sam, and you will lose your scholarships and be expelled."

"Yes, sir. This will not happen again," Sam said guiltily.

"The house is furnished but you will have to go buy a few things. The four of you are required to pay the rent and all bills. If you are late on your rent or any of your bills, you will have to find your own place to live. The only reason I have not rescinded your scholarships is because of your service to this country, but you will not take advantage of my generosity again."

Sam thanked the Defense Secretary and then left to go back to his car after getting the address. He was disgusted with himself for taking advantage of the privileges given to him, and knew that everything that had happened was because of him. The other three merely followed his lead. Calling Mikaela as he drove back to their dorms, he told her to get the other two and meet him outside because they had to go somewhere. Sam also let her know that they probably wouldn't be able to make it to Andy's party that night.

Mikaela, Christian, and Leo were waiting for him when he pulled up and he didn't miss the worried look on his girlfriend's face. Bee drove them to the house because Sam didn't know where it was nor was he really in the right state of mind to be driving. He was too angry with himself to even be talking to anyone else much less operating a vehicle. Mikaela tried to talk to him and find out what was going on, but he didn't trust himself not to take his anger out on her so he stayed silent. Knowing she was upset at his ignoring her, he intertwined his fingers in hers and sent her a small smile.

It took them 20 minutes to find the house. The neighborhood was decent, not too rundown and not too nice. Sam could feel the confusing looks the other three were giving him as he walked right up to the front door and unlocked the door. Inside the house, his first thought was that it was perfect. He saw a manila envelope sitting on the dining table in the kitchen and looked inside to see that it was the lease papers. The contract reminded him of how they'd come to be in this house, and he threw them back down on the table before turning to look at his girlfriend and their roommates.

"Welcome home," Sam said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes before he turned and walked away.

He heard Mikaela chase after him as he toured through the house. Overall, it was a perfect house for the four of them except for the circumstances that led them there. Sam was grateful for Mikaela's silence even though he knew she was curious to understand what was going on. They made their way to the living room and saw Christian and Leo coming from the other side of the house.

"Obviously, I need to explain what's going on," Sam started sarcastically. "Basically, what it's come down to is we've been kicked out of the dorms. I guess we weren't cautious enough because there were a bunch of complaints that we were staying in each others' rooms but we never got in trouble for it. Somebody got pissed about it and threatened to sue for discrimination, so the Dean and the board had no choice. It's campus policy that the third strike is an automatic eviction and there was proof that each of us had broken the rules more than three times."

"Are you serious?" Leo asked disbelieving.

"No, here in a minute a bunch of cameras are going to pop out and someone's going to tell you you've been punked," Sam said and rolled his eyes.

"Sam, calm down. You have to realize you disappear without telling us what's going on and then when you come back you bring us to this house and still don't tell us anything. Then all of a sudden you're like "welcome home" and we're supposed to know what the hell is going on?" Mikaela said agitated.

"I'm sorry. I'm still trying to digest it all and then I had a meeting with Keller. He's the one who got the house, but we have to pay for it," He looked at Mikaela. "We are now on probation. Anything else happens we lose our scholarships and get expelled. If we even pay the damn water bill late, we're through. We can't live on campus anymore unless the board approves our applications, and that's probably not going to happen!"

"Has anyone else noticed this house only has three bedrooms?" Christian chose that moment to point out the obvious.

"There's a finished basement. I'll take it," Sam said tiredly. The last hour had completely drained him.

"Guys, it's almost six. We have a house with no beds. We've got to find a store before they're all closed and we're stuck on the floor," Mikaela suggested.

Each of them took a certain part of the house and looked to see if there was anything else they would have to have before they could stay there. The only other important things they could think of that were considered necessities were food and toilet paper. At least those two things were relatively cheap when compared to the four brand new beds that would have to be bought. Sam called Andy to let him know why they couldn't make it to the party at his house that night and to ask to borrow his truck. Leo, knowing they would need more than one truck, called one of his buddies to see if he could meet them at the store and help them get it all back to the house. As soon as they got all the logistics sorted out, the four friends raced to get to the furniture store before they closed.

*************

By some miracle, they were able to get all of their stuff out within a matter of hours. It was just after two when Sam and Leo took Andy back his truck. The party was still in full swing, but neither had the energy to hang out nor did they want to do it while their girlfriends were back at the house unpacking. Both men went in search of their girlfriends as soon as they got back in the house.

"Hey beautiful," Sam said leaning against the doorway.

"I'm breaking up with you Sam," Mikaela said unconvincingly as she hung up the last of her clothes and saw the amused grin on his face when she turned around.

"I love you."

"Oh, now you say it when you're supposed to," She joked.

"It meant more that I said it when I did for the first time."

"Yeah, except that you almost died before you could say it," Sam saw the pain in her eyes as she remembered that fateful day in Egypt so he rushed to change the subject.

"We're fate, remember? That means I couldn't die that day," He pulled her into his arms. "Besides, it all worked out just right. All Witwicky, all the time."

"I love you," Mikaela kissed him. "Now let's go get your room done."

They went to the basement hand in hand. She reached for a box to start unpacking his stuff but Sam kicked the box out of the way.

"That can wait until tomorrow. Tonight, you're gonna scream my name," With that, he put his hands on her ass and picked her up. He took her to the bed and laid her down.

The first thing he did was kick his shoes and socks off and then join her on the bed. Reaching for her shoes, he kissed the side of her knee as his fingers rubbed up and down her calf, their skin barely touching. His mouth followed the paths his fingers left behind. Sam looked up into Mikaela's eyes and could already see her start to breathe deeper. Once he got the first shoe off, he moved to her other leg and repeated the same process keeping eye contact with her the whole time. He then slid his body up hers, making sure his body touched every part of hers, and leaned in to softly bite the skin underneath her jaw. Mikaela's neck was one of the most sensitive parts of her body, and he planned to exploit it as much as he could. She would do the same to him, he knew. Sam moved his legs so that they were placed on each side of her body and he was straddling her hips. A crooked smile adorned his face and he grabbed her bottom lip with his teeth. So close to her mouth, he could feel every sigh and hear every breath.

Sam alternated between sucking her bottom lip and nipping at it. Using one hand to support himself, he placed his other one on her side and slid it under her shirt. His nails raked up her side and because he was still teasing her lip, he felt the shudder that ran through her body. It blazed through every nerve in his body, and he had to keep himself from groaning. As a result, he'd had to let go of her lip so he could clench his jaw so in return he leaned back on his haunches and used his other hand to lift her shirt to expose her stomach. Sam slid his body back down so he could place feather light kisses around her belly button. Mikaela's stomach muscles tightened from the pleasure and he took it as a sign to continue. His hands had a tight grip on her waist because the power he held over her turned him on. Her body started to shake when he kissed his way up to just under her breasts. A trail of light kisses was left under the wire of her bra.

Mikaela had yet to make a noise aside from breathing, but when he looked into her eyes he knew she was crazy with desire and fighting to stay silent. With his eyes locked on hers, he slipped his hands under her shirt and this time, pulled it all the way off. Placing his hands on her stomach, he slid them slowly up and over her breasts and then down her arms. When she arched her back, he laid his lips on the skin where neck met shoulder and slowly applied more and more pressure to the sensitive spot. The combination of his two acts resulted in a barely audible moan escaping her lips. Her hand fisted his hair so he grabbed both of her hands in one of his and held them above her head. The fingers on his other hand were tracing the cups of her bra across the swell of her breasts. That same spot was the next destination for his lips and tongue. The way her chest rose and fell told him he was about to win. He mistakenly stopped his attack to give her a smug grin and she used his hesitation to take control.

Mikaela had been half a second away from screaming his name because she couldn't take the torturous pleasure any longer but his cockiness had allowed her to turn the tables. Since he'd been first to tease, she had the advantage because he was already so turned on. She rolled them over so he was on bottom. Using the same tactic of attacking the most sensitive spot, her lips quickly found his ear. Teasing him had long been a favorite activity of hers, so she knew to suck on his ear lobe for several moments before dragging her teeth along the shell of his ear. As she continued teasing his ear, Mikaela let her hands travel underneath his shirt. Her fingernails scraped over his belly button and she heard him exhale a shaky breath. His shirt was quick to come off thereafter. She flashed him her own cocky smile as she trailed her nails over his nipple. Sam's eyes closed and his head tilted back.

Sam's Adam's apple was quickly captured by her lips and she lavished it. Every so often, Mikaela would pull her lips away and softly blow on it, knowing the cold air mixed with her saliva would make him tingle. She let her body rest on top of his so her bare skin touched his bare skin. From experience, she knew what their skin touching would do to him. Her lips left his Adam's apple and slowly, sensually made their way down to his collarbone where she nipped at the skin. Almost painfully slowly, she guided her lips to his belly button where she sucked on the skin just above it. When she made her way back up his stomach, she kept her body low enough so that her breasts would rub against his skin. Another shaky breath escaped his lips. He reached his hands down to her waist for something to grab onto. Like he did, she held both of his hands above his head. Mikaela made eye contact with him and then grinded her hips into his. Her confidence soared when she heard him start panting. However, she hadn't expected him to grind his into hers in return and this time the moan tumbled from her lips. She leaned in to attack his neck again when Sam found his own opportunity to wrest back control and grabbed her ear with his teeth when she turned her head.

They went back and forth like this for a while. Just as one was about to win, the other always managed to find the perfect opportunity and regained the control. In the end, though, it was Mikaela screaming out Sam's name. He had driven her to the brink of insanity and she had no choice left but to fall.

Sam was on top when a winner had been declared. He'd had to lower himself to his elbows because everything she'd done had left him feeling as if his limbs were jelly. His head was resting on her shoulder as he struggled to catch his breath when she pulled his head up to capture his lips in a mind blowing kiss.

"You never lose, huh," Sam smirked.

"I'll lose like that every fucking day," Mikaela said breathlessly.

"You can't beat the master," She reached up and swatted at his shoulder.

Sam rolled off her to his side and climbed off the bed. She watched him curiously until he started digging through his laundry basket and figured out what he was doing. He pulled out a tank top and two pairs of shorts. The pants he was wearing fell to the ground and he stepped into one of the pairs of shorts. Once he was done, he moved to the side of the bed and did the same to Mikaela. He gently pulled her skirt off her legs and replaced it with the other shorts before lifting her to a sitting position and slid the tank top over her head and shoulders. Mikaela put her hand on his face and stroked his cheek with her thumb before bringing his face down to hers and kissing him in response to his sweet gesture.

Mikaela scooted to the middle of the bed so he had room to get in after he'd flipped off the lights. She loved the way his arms would almost instantly snake their way around her every time they were this close. Even after dating for two years, there was still no other place in the world she would rather be. Sam brushed a lock of hair out of her face and she smiled adoringly at him. His lips grazed against her temple and she snuggled closer to his chest.

"You know, I never expected to fall in love," Mikaela said quietly after a while. She started playing with one of his hands and felt his eyes on her.

"With me?"

"No, not just with you, I never expected to fall in love at all. At least, I never expected anything like this. I mean, my mom took off when I was little because she loved crack more than she loved me," This was the first time Mikaela had ever told Sam why her mom left. "My dad was caught up in stealing cars, and then I ended up involved in all of it. When he got sent to prison, I self-destructed. I couldn't handle knowing that my mom didn't love me and my dad was so addicted to the rush of stealing cars that he let it tear his family apart. I came from the wrong side of the tracks, and the only reason I was who I was in school was because of the way I looked. It was all fake. The guys wanted to sleep with me and the girls pretended to like me. I accepted that I was going to be on my own. It hurt, but I had to accept it in order to survive."

Sam wanted to interrupt her and tell her she was worth more than all of her so called friends combined, but he knew she needed to get it all out.

"Nobody gave a damn about me and I knew it. Instead of calling anyone out on it, I just let it go on. It was easier to pretend that they did than to be alone. Every guy I dated wanted to sleep with me. It was like it was some fucking game to see who could have sex with Mikaela Banes. Every time one guy broke up with me because I wouldn't sleep with him, five more would start hitting on me. They all wanted to be the one to say they'd had me first. After a while, I started playing the same game. I'd lead them on and make them think they would be the one I slept with but then at the last possible second I would tell him no. I knew I was nothing more than a fucking conquest and that's not how I wanted to lose my virginity. I didn't think I was ever gonna fall in love so it wasn't like I was waiting for the right person but I knew I didn't wanna look back on my life and know that I had sex for the first time with a guy that only wanted to be able to say he'd been Mikaela Banes' first. It was degrading, and with every guy that came along it just made me feel less and less worthy. All I could think was that there had to be a reason why I only dated jackasses that just wanted to fuck me. I didn't think I was good enough for anyone to fall in love with me."

With every heartbreaking word that tumbled from Mikaela's lips, Sam wanted more and more to tear apart each and every one of those jackasses.

"Then you came along and offered to give me a ride home because Trent was a jerk despite the fact that we had never talked before and I didn't even know who you were. I remember you looking at me when you dropped me off at my house in a way that no other guy had. It was obvious you had a crush on me and you were so sweet. Then you got caught up in everything with Optimus and Megatron and all that, and somehow I ended up involved too. You were the first boy to treat me like a person and not a piece of ass but I was still convinced I would never be more than a quick fuck so I wouldn't let myself feel anything. You were supposed to be a friend, but it all changed when you made Banachek and Simmons clear my record before you would help them. There was just something about you and the way you made me feel special when I was around you. I hadn't expected it to ever happen, but every wall I'd built around my heart was crumbling all because of this strange boy I'd known all my life but never met. It was the first time we kissed that I realized there were actually good guys out there even if I still didn't believe I was worth it."

"Baby, you are worth it. Absolutely, completely worth it," Sam wiped away a stray tear from her cheek and fell silent as she opened her mouth to continue.

"I remember the day you left for college. I wanted so bad to tell you that I loved you, but I knew I would never say it first. I'd already let you so far into my heart that I couldn't risk saying it and then you not saying it back. I knew we were serious. I mean, by then we'd been together for two years and you still wanted to be together even though you were moving to the other side of the country but I still couldn't say it first. That night in Egypt I think is the first time I realized that you did but we were both too scared to say it first. I remember you laying there the next day and I thought you were dead and I was so fucking pissed at the both of us for being cowards before because now we were never gonna get the chance. I didn't know if you were ever gonna hear it, but I knew I had to tell you. I needed you to know that I did love you, and then you finally woke up and that's when I knew without a doubt in my mind there would never be anyone I could ever love as much as I loved you. That's the moment I finally let my heart go because I knew there was someone else out there that wouldn't break it."

Sam lay there silently taking in everything Mikaela had told him. This was probably the most heartfelt she'd ever been with him, and there was so much he wanted to say to her but words escaped him. He gently wiped away her tears and wrapped his other arm tighter around her waist. She wanted him to say something, he knew, so he tried to find the right words to say to let her know everything that was in his heart. His eyes met hers and he knew it didn't matter what he said because it was obvious how he felt by the look in his eyes but he was damn well going to try to put it all into words.

"'Kaela, you are everything to me. It took me a long time to tell you how I felt, but I've loved you since the day you got in my car. I don't care what anyone else thinks, you are worth the world. There is nobody in this world worth more than you. Don't ever let other peoples' stupidity make you think otherwise because if they can't see that you're the most amazing woman in the world then they're the ones that aren't worthy. Everything I am right now is because of you. I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for you. Nothing else matters next to you. I love you and I will spend every day for the rest of my life proving that to you until you can see what I see and what I see is that you're perfect. I'm not saying you're perfect in the literal definition of the word but you're perfect for me."

Mikaela smiled through the tears that had started falling again when he'd opened his mouth and poured his heart into every word he said. She tilted her head and kissed him. It wasn't a passionate kiss because they already knew the physical and sexual attraction was there. The kiss was merely a means for them to bare their soul in ways words couldn't express.

"Stay with me tonight," Sam softly requested.

"Baby, there's no place I'd rather be," Mikaela laid her head against his chest over his heart.

Sam ran his fingers through her hair until they both quickly fell asleep. It was no surprise that neither of them laid there for very long because dealing with the dormitory evictions along with the little game they had played had completely wiped out whatever energy they may have had.

* * *

**I know the part about Keller getting them a house even though they were kicked out of the dorms for breaking the rules seems a little unreal, so let me explain my whole thought process behind it. The assumption I get from what we see of Keller in the movies is that he takes care of his own. The entire world owes everything to Sam and Mikaela for saving the world. Keller knows this, and the type of person he is couldn't live with himself if he allowed them to be thrown out on the streets. They are still just teenagers who graduated high school and moved off to college, but at the same time they are so much bigger than that. I hope that makes sense to everybody.**

**If anyone else noticed the confusion over what rooms they were in in the last chapter besides Princessbm, sorry about that! That was one of the middle chapters I had to rewrite when I took out a big chunk, and I kept confusing myself (that's probably not a good thing though, is it?) because this chapter was already written so they had already moved into the house and then I had to remember to use the dorm rooms instead of the house. It's definitely not fun to rewrite middle chapters because you have to go back to the mindset you were in when you were at that point, and I kept trying to throw in stuff that hadn't happened yet. Shouldn't be anymore of that though because anything after this chapter is past the part I took out and rewrote. **

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**

**GoShrks7  
The Other Place  
5livelaughlove5  
Knight 56  
noz4a2**

**As always, please read and review! You guys are freakin' awesome :-)**


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm glad there's still people out there enjoying this! I know it's going kinda slow right now, but here in a couple chapters the drama is going to pick up. The next one has a little bit of a cliffhanger that you guys will either love or hate me for, and if I can get at least 7 reviews for this chapter I'll go ahead and post the next one even if I get all the reviews today. **

**Thanks to Princessbm, Knight 56, GoShrks7, and my furture husband is edward for reviewing the last chapter!**

* * *

By the time Mikaela woke up the following morning, Sam had already gotten all of his boxes unpacked and everything put away. She was surprised because she had expected Sam to avoid doing it until she got tired of seeing the boxes and ended up doing it herself. When she was glancing around the room to see what all he'd done, she saw a picture on the desk and got out of bed to go look at it. A big smile lit up her face once she realized what it was. The picture had been taken at Will Lennox's house on base after they'd all made it back to the states. As a way to relax and recoup from the vicious battle they'd all fought in, Lennox's wife Sarah had thrown a party. It had been a joyful night that lasted well into the morning but nobody really minded because they needed to just let go. Even now, Mikaela still had no idea who had taken the picture of them nor did she know at the time that someone had even taken a picture. Sam was standing in front of Mikaela with his hands holding her waist and she had one hand cupping his cheek. She remembered that moment exactly. It was the second time they'd said they loved each other, but the first time both were calm and coherent. Of course she'd been the first to say it, again, but it didn't matter anymore.

"What are you doing?" The sound of Sam's voice broke her away from her thoughts.

"Remembering," Mikaela said simply as she turned around. "I'm surprised you're already completely unpacked. I figured you'd leave it until I got tired of it and did it myself."

"It's time I grew up and started being more responsible," He shrugged as if it was no big deal. "We can't afford for me to be immature and cost us our scholarships."

"Not that I thought you weren't already responsible, but I'm proud of you baby," She gave him a loving smile and kissed his cheek.

"That's all I get?" He pouted.

"Until I brush my teeth, yes," Mikaela was already halfway up the stairs to the bathroom on the main floor.

Sam found Leo half hidden in a cabinet in the kitchen searching for anything to eat. It was amusing for him to see a grown man desperately searching for a crumb in a house he knew had no food. Even funnier was when Sam said Leo's name which in turn caused him to jump and hit his head on the top of the cabinet. Leo threw a plastic bowl he'd found in the cabinet at Sam but Sam had expected such an action and was able to jump out of the way. Taking pity on his friend, Sam volunteered the guys to do the grocery shopping and promised Leo to feed him before they started their shopping. They left once Leo was dressed appropriately enough for Sam to be seen in public with him.

While the guys were gone, Mikaela and Christian decided to take advantage of the rare hot fall day and sunbathe in the back yard. They alternated between girl talk and lazing around just enjoying the sun's rays. The guys seemed to be the main topic of conversation, as expected, and their excitement that all four of them were living together and no longer had to worry about curfews. After a while, Christian asked Mikaela about the war and the most recent battle. She'd always been curious, but the other three never seemed to talk about it so she'd avoided asking. Mikaela put her hands behind her back and told the story starting with Sam's leaving. She left nothing out. The memories replayed in her mind as she spoke and every emotion she'd felt bled through until it was clearly reflected in her words. Christian remained silent, only interrupting when she didn't understand, knowing that Mikaela likely needed to tell the story as a form of catharsis. Their war was not a typical one, and they did not come out unscathed.

Neither woman noticed when Sam and Leo returned. They heard Mikaela's story when they had come out to let them know they were back, but had silently gone back inside so as not to disturb them. In the kitchen, they put away the multitude of groceries that had been bought and then began to make lunch for the four of them. Sam hadn't been able to help the laugh that escaped him at the sight of the girls' shocked faces when they had come back inside and found that Sam and Leo had been back long enough to be halfway done cooking lunch.

The meal was a hilarious affair. Christian took it upon herself to tease Leo for acting like a little baby and for the way the Autobot twins were constantly calling him on it. She'd heard Mikaela and Sam make fun of him a time or two before but now that she knew the whole story, she had to give him hell which led to the other two picking on him as well. Leo, of course, tried to vehemently deny it but had quickly realized it was pointless so he then resorted to pouting.

The four friends fell into a routine as the days went by. Their classes were getting more intense as the semester wound down, and each of them had gotten a job now that they were required to pay rent and everything that came along with not living on campus. It was rare that they were all home at the same time for very long unless they were sleeping and even that wasn't a guarantee. Mikaela, naturally, was working as a mechanic at a nearby repair shop. Christian worked at a national bookstore as a cashier. Sam and Leo had both gotten jobs at a sports bar called The Sideline, Sam as a bartender and Leo as a waiter. Sam never made it home before midnight and on nights when he didn't have a class the next morning; he didn't get off work until close to three.

Both couples made it a point to have the same day off so they could spend a day with each other since they had so little time together the rest of the week. Sam and Mikaela had Tuesdays off, aside from each having morning classes. Neither Christian nor Leo worked on Thursdays, but Christian had a class in the morning and afternoon while Leo had one in the afternoon. It was a nice little break where they could relax and simply enjoy each other's company.

It was the week of Thanksgiving before it dawned on Sam that Halloween had already passed by. There had been a party at Andy's they'd all gone to, but he'd been so consumed with trying to keep his grades up even though he didn't have nearly enough time to study because he was always working. That was why Sam was still up at five in the morning sitting at the kitchen table studying for an algebra test he had at 10. Mikaela usually slept in his room unless it was one of the nights he didn't get home until three and then she would sleep in her room. She was a light sleeper so he decided to study in the kitchen to keep from waking her up. He was exhausted, but couldn't afford to make a bad grade on the test. Tomorrow night would be the same since he had a government test the day after.

Mikaela and Sam would leave immediately after his test to fly back to California to spend Thanksgiving with his family. Sam figured he'd end up sleeping through most of the break because he was so run down. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with his parents, but at the rate he was going he could probably sleep half a week without waking up. As long as he aced his tests, he wasn't worried about the exhaustion.

Mikaela was worried about Sam. He'd been walking around like a zombie for the last couple days and even now sitting on the plane he was half asleep. Sam's parents had surprised them with plane tickets because his mom couldn't wait any longer to see her baby. Bee would meet them in California sometime late the next day. It made it easier because all they'd had to take on the plane was a change of clothes for that night and something for tomorrow. Everything else had been thrown in the backseat of the Camaro.

The flight attendants weren't even halfway through their customary speech about how to use the masks or that the seat bottoms were flotation devices and Mikaela was starting to think Sam wouldn't be able to stay awake long enough to hear the rest of the speech. She knew he stayed up studying after he got off work the last couple days instead of falling into bed like he typically did, but wasn't aware of just how little sleep he had gotten.

Ever since the meeting with Secretary Keller after they had been kicked out of the dorms, Sam had been like a different person. He was amazingly driven and motivated. He still believed he was the biggest reason for their eviction, and was determined not to let his irresponsibility effect the other three in such a way again. His grades had even improved despite the fact that his lowest grade had been a high B before. Sam was still the same goofy person, but had matured immensely. His changes only strengthened Mikaela's love for him because everything he'd done had been for her, for Leo and Christian, rather than for himself. He was driving himself into the ground to make sure that the rest of them were okay.

Knowing that he desperately needed the rest, Mikaela sat back and let her hand roam through his hair. The flight would be long and boring with him asleep, but at least it was nonstop and she'd remembered to grab a book and a couple magazines. She would be fine once they got into the air. Taking off and landing were the worst parts of flying, but it was only one way fortunately. They would drive back and make it just in time to get to class Monday morning. The advantage of having a car that happened to also be a robot was that neither of them actually had to drive it and could sleep most of the way back.

Sometime over the Midwest, Mikaela raised the armrest between them and curled up against Sam the best she could and fell asleep. Both slept through the remainder of the flight. She was jarred from her sleep when the plane touched down and woke Sam up when they reached their gate since he was still dead to the world. How he managed to sleep through the entire trip was beyond her. They walked slowly through the terminal and Mikaela had to jump out of the way when his mom tackled him in a hug after they'd come through the security checkpoint. Not that sidestepping his mom did her a whole lot of good because Judy engulfed her the second she'd let go of Sam.

Judy and Ron, his dad, took them out to eat for dinner and then they all went back to his parents' and spent the rest of the evening watching movies and being lazy. Both Sam and Mikaela were too tired to do anything else and his parents were content to simply spend time with their only child. They told his parents all about their time at college, minus the part where they weren't living in the dorms anymore. Mikaela started bragging to his parents about how good his grades were and how responsible he was becoming. Sam blushed from the praise his parents lavished on him after Mikaela told them and she grabbed his hand and squeezed.

"Mikaela, it's late and I know the flight wore you two out. Why don't you stay here tonight?" Judy suggested as she and Ron got up to go to bed.

"And don't forget we're in the house too. I don't want to wake up in the middle of the night and hear that damn bed squeaking," This time it was Mikaela's turn to blush at Ron's comment and she hid her face in Sam's chest.

Ron's laughter could still be heard as the couple made their way upstairs to Sam's room. Mikaela slapped at Sam's chest when she heard him chuckling about it but he couldn't help it. She was adorable when she blushed. Not bothering with propriety, she started changing into pajamas as soon as Sam shut the door. The sight of his girlfriend shirtless and bent over digging in their bag lit a fire in his belly and the next moment Sam was behind her, his lips attacking her neck. Mikaela turned around in his arms and their lips met in a kiss that told of their need. Moments like this were rare because they were both so busy with school and work.

She hastily reached for the hem of his shirt and yanked it over his head. He growled at her forcefulness and trailed his lips to her collarbone as he ripped open her pants and shoved them down. Without taking his lips away from her neck, he picked her up and carried her to his bed using one arm to support her and the other to undo her bra. Mikaela held on to him when he tried to lay her on the bed and pulled him on top of her. She put her hand under his jaw and tilted his face up until they locked eyes and his lips crashed down onto hers.

"So help me God, Sam, if you don't have a condom I'm going to kill you," Mikaela said breathlessly against his lips. He reached into his back pocket for his wallet and brandished the foil packet he had stowed in there.

Sam had one arm on both sides of her body supporting his weight and she used her hands to tear his jeans off with the same force he had used on her. He kicked his jeans all the way off and groaned involuntarily when she shimmied against him as she pushed her panties off. Their need intensified and Mikaela flipped them over so she was on top. Once he was sheathed, she straddled his hips and had to bite her lip to keep from making any noise as she slid down onto him.

Sam's hands had a tight grip on her hips as they started moving. They both knew this wouldn't be slow or loving. The need had consumed both of their bodies and it was going to be hard and rough and intense. Mikaela arched her back and put her hands on his thighs for support. His hips were thrusting upwards and the sheer force he was using turned her on in a way she had never felt before. He was always so gentle, so attentive to how she felt and what she wanted that this animalistic side of him was a complete surprise. The hold he had on her hips was so tight she expected it might bruise, but she couldn't feel the pain. All that she was aware of was the feel of him inside her and the sounds of their breathing.

Likewise, Sam's arousal was leaps and bounds more intense than anything in the past. There was nothing hotter than the sight of his girlfriend on top of him arching her back and biting her bottom lip to stay quiet. Mikaela wouldn't be able to hold back her moans much longer, he knew, so he rolled over until he was on top and leaned down to kiss her. Sam shuddered when she moaned into his mouth. Her legs wrapped around his waist and her name tore from his lips. Her nails raked down his back which only made him quicken his pace. He knew she'd reached her climax when she tightened around him. Sam pulled himself back and watched the look of ecstasy on her face as the tremors passed through her every nerve. It was all too much for him and he felt himself let go.

For a long time, the only audible sound was their heavy breathing. They were both still caught up in the passionate moment and Sam had to slide off of her to the side because he couldn't hold himself up anymore. He used one arm to prop his head up and the other was on her stomach where his fingers traced patterns.

"That was…" Mikaela trailed off when she couldn't think of the right word.

"Amazing," Sam murmured.

"It was hot," She added. Sam got up and swept all of their clothes into a pile by the closet before reaching in their bag for a t-shirt and pajama pants.

"Here, put this on," He handed her the t-shirt after he'd put the pants on. "Just in case my mom or dad comes in here in the morning while we're still asleep."

He crawled back in the bed next to her and pulled the blanket up over them. Mikaela smiled when she felt his fingers in her hair. It was just like Sam to be rough and animalistic one minute and then gentle and loving the next. She turned on her side so that she was facing him and put her hand on his cheek.

"I love you," Mikaela whispered.

"I love you too," Sam replied. "I'm really glad you're going to spend Thanksgiving with me."

"We had a deal, remember? You were with me and my family last year, and I'm with you this year."

"I know, but it would be okay if you wanted to spend it with your family since you haven't seen them in three months."

"I want to be with you. Or are you trying to get rid of me so you can bring your other girlfriend?" Mikaela joked.

"Oh, I'm gonna get you for that," Sam grinned evilly and started tickling his girlfriend.

"No, Sam, don't! That tickles stop it," She laughed as she tried to wiggle away from him. He let her go and looked at her.

"Do you feel that?" He put her hand over his heart. "That is you. No other woman could even compare."

"Good, I'm glad because I don't want anyone but you," She leaned in and deeply kissed him.

Mikaela snuggled in closer to him. His lips grazed against her temple and she heard him whisper good night.


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm glad you guys all enjoyed the last chapter! Here's a nice mushy one! Hope you all are having a fun and safe Labor Day weekend!**

**Thanks to all of you who reviewed! You guys are freakin' awesome! Please review and I'll love you forever :-)**

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It was Thanksgiving. Sam knew Mikaela was nervous about meeting his family no matter how many times he assured her they would love her. She still hadn't met any of them yet even though they had been dating so long because they all lived out of town. That was one of the reasons she was nervous. Their relationship was very serious and she wanted his whole family to like her. She planned to be around for a very long time.

Mikaela was helping Judy with the cooking while Sam and Ron were making sure every inch of the house was spotless. At least she didn't have to worry about meeting his parents at the same time as the rest of his family. Both of his parents loved her and she and Judy were close. Judy also knew Mikaela's mother was out of the picture, and had taken her under her wing when she realized just how serious the relationship between her son and his girlfriend was.

"Everyone should be here soon. Go on and spend what little time we have left with Sam. I know you're nervous," Judy shooed Mikaela from the kitchen who hollered a thank you as she went off to find him.

Mikaela found him in the backyard coming back from the garage. Sam smiled when he saw her and wrapped his arms around her waist when she got close enough. Her head tilted up towards his and she kissed him, careful to keep it innocent since they were standing in his backyard and his family was due to show up any moment. They stood in their embrace for several minutes until a car pulled up in front of the house.

"They're going to love you baby," Sam kissed her forehead then took her hand and the couple went back into the house.

Inside they saw a couple close to his parents' age, a girl that looked a few years younger than them, and an even younger boy. Sam watched his parents greet his aunt and uncle from where he and Mikaela were standing. His aunt finally caught sight of him and he chuckled when she quickly walked over to him and engulfed him in a big hug. He and his aunt chit chatted for a moment until his uncle walked over and interrupted them with his own hug for Sam.

"Aunt Jody, Uncle Dale, this is my girlfriend Mikaela," He put his arm around her waist. "Mikaela, this is my Aunt Jody and Uncle Dale."

Sam saw the nervous smile on her face as she shook both of their hands and talked to them. The nervousness slowly faded away as Mikaela realized how friendly his aunt and uncle were and Sam was grateful to his aunt for putting his girlfriend at ease. They made their way over to his cousins when his aunt migrated to the kitchen to help his mom and his uncle went to find his dad. Sam introduced her first to Lindsey and then to Toby, who was more concerned with the handheld video game he was playing.

Mikaela felt herself grow more and more comfortable with his family as Sam introduced her every time another family member showed up. She grinned in amusement every time one of the women berated Sam for not bringing his girlfriend to meet his family sooner since they had been dating for two years. At first he'd blushed and apologized, but then he started to laugh it off and tell them he hadn't wanted to scare her off by introducing her to his crazy family. She loved the way he constantly had his hand around her waist or held her hand.

"And just who is this beautiful young lady?" Sam's grandfather slung an arm around Mikaela's shoulders and winked at her.

"Grandpa, no!" Sam laughed and pulled her until she was out of his grandpa's reach. "She's mine. You can't have her."

"Aw, Sam, but I kinda like him," Mikaela teased and moved next to the older man and wrapped her arm around his waist.

"She's a smart one, Sammy. I can't help it if all the women love me," His grandpa said in a mock arrogant tone.

"Curtis, quit flirting with Sammy's girlfriend," Sam's grandmother strolled over and playfully swatted her husband on the arm. "You're a creepy old man."

"Grandpa, Nana, this is Mikaela," He jokingly glared at his grandpa as he pulled his girlfriend back to his side. "'Kaela, this is Curtis, my Grandpa, and Julianne, my Nana."

Mikaela pretended to swoon when Curtis took her hand and kissed it, an act that Curtis absolutely adored. She could see where Sam got his wit and goofiness and fell in love with his grandparents instantly. The easy banter and absolute devotion his grandparents still had between them even after being married for so many years was something Mikaela hoped she could have.

Sam was ecstatic that his family had taken to his girlfriend so well. He'd been confident they would love her, but was still relieved to be right. It was important to her that they accept her, and Sam had tried to make it plainly obvious that he was head over heels in love with the woman. Now that she had been introduced to everyone that was there, he tried to get her to watch the football game with him in the living room, but she kissed his cheek and decided instead to help his mom and the other women in the kitchen.

Judy tried to kick her out of the kitchen again, but Mikaela was adamant about helping and refused to leave. The older woman squeezed her shoulder and told her how proud she was that Mikaela had handled meeting the family so well even though she'd been so nervous in the beginning. Sam's aunts pelted her with questions about her and Sam's relationship and she tried to answer them as truthfully as she could without mentioning anything about the Autobots or the Decepticons. They were thoroughly impressed with Sam for being enough of a gentleman to give her a ride home because her ex had been a jerk even though they weren't friends and had never spoken. They thought it was adorable that he'd been so nervous he fumbled through talking to her that first day.

"Oh, don't let her fool you. Mikaela loves my Witwicky charm," Sam walked into the kitchen and opened his arms when she walked up to him.

"I do, but you were still cute that first day 'cause you were so nervous," She teased and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"And what about now?" He smiled.

"I guess you're still kinda cute," Mikaela pretended to look him over before she took her time deciding.

"Just kinda cute?" Sam pouted.

"Uh huh," She leaned up and quickly kissed his lips. He blushed when he realized all of the women in the kitchen were watching them and they laughed at his embarrassment.

"Sammy, I don't think you need to worry about your grandpa stealing this one away," His Nana quipped from the stove.

"No need to worry at all," Mikaela said softly so only she and Sam could hear it.

It was Mikaela's turn to be embarrassed when Sam left the kitchen and his aunts and grandma oohed and aahed over how adorable the young couple was. They, of course, laughed at her the same way they had laughed at Sam. She went back to the vegetables she had been chopping and didn't notice Sam's mom and aunts had left the kitchen leaving Mikaela and his grandmother.

"Sammy has always been so shy. I've never seen him this happy before," The matriarch said seriously.

"I've never been this happy either. I love him," Mikaela responded just as serious.

"And if he walked in and asked you to marry him right now, what would you say?" His grandmother was testing her and she knew it.

"I'd marry him tomorrow if he asked," She said honestly.

"There's more to your relationship than either of you will say. I don't know what it is, but you've put a light in his eyes that's never been there before," Julianne was staring intently at Mikaela to see if her body language gave away any sign of malicious intent. "He's always worried me with the way he just seemed to float through life. Sammy's never had a whole lot of friends; the boy has always been sort of a loner. What I've seen of him today though...it almost seems as if with you, he's found a purpose in his life."

"Mrs. Witwicky, whatever you think I have done for Sam, let me assure you that he has done so much more for me. He may have been a loner, but I was surrounded by people who only wanted to use me. Sam has given me everything I thought I'd never have. He deserves so much better than me, but he's still here and I thank God for that," Mikaela heard someone clear their throat from behind her and spun around to see Sam standing there. Julianne watched the way her grandson's girlfriend's eyes lit up at the sight of him and felt the truth in the words she had just spoken.

"'Kaela, baby, I'm the lucky one. The most gorgeous woman in the world for some reason fell in love with _me_. Me, strange, geeky Sam Witwicky!" The amazed look in Sam's eyes made her forget all about Sam's grandma standing in the kitchen with them.

"Sam, let me tell you something. You may be strange and geeky," She gave him a teasing smile in response to the pout that had come over his face. "But you're more of a man than any guy I've ever dated. I love that you're strange and geeky. I love that even after two years, the way you look at me still knocks me to my knees. I love that you know everything I've done, everything I was, and you still sing me to sleep at night. I love _you_, Samuel James Witwicky," Sam tenderly kissed his girlfriend after her heartfelt declarations. It wasn't until they heard several sniffles that they remembered they weren't alone. Breaking out of their reverie, they noticed Judy and his aunts had come back into the kitchen at some point. A blush crept up Mikaela's neck once she realized there had been a bigger audience for her words than she had expected.

"Well this is only slightly awkward," Sam quipped.

"Shut up Sam, you're making it worse!" Mikaela mumbled embarrassedly as she hid her face.

"Mikaela, look at me," He asked softly. "You know what I love? I love that you would rather get your hands dirty than go get a manicure. It shows that you don't care what other people think and that you're confident in your skin. For the record, I think it's sexy as hell that you can work on cars. I love that my heart still stops when I see you, even if you're just wearing a tank top and shorts. You're already beautiful but I know your heart inside and out and that makes you absolutely breathtaking. I love that when you wrap your arms around me, you hold on like you never want to let go. If I could hold you forever, darlin', trust me I'd never let go. I love that no matter what I do or say, you're going to love me the same. I act like an idiot and I stick my foot in my mouth constantly, but you look at me and I feel like the greatest man in the world. I love you, Mikaela. Forever."

The women in the kitchen stood back and watched as their grandson, nephew, son poured his heart out to his longtime girlfriend. None of them made a sound as he leaned down and kissed her so passionately, so lovingly, that they themselves felt the emotion in the intimate gesture from two feet away. Judy especially was moved by the scene unfolding in front of her because Sam was her baby, the boy she had watched grown from a timid, awkward teenager into this confident and amazing young man. She also had the advantage of having known Mikaela since they first started dating and knew that the words the two had just spoken to each other were so much more than that. It was the way they truly, wholeheartedly felt.

Neither of the two teenagers were even aware of Sam's family members being in the same room as them any longer. She was looking into the watery eyes of the man she had fallen head over heels in love with. The emotion behind his words had been so deep that his eyes filled up with unshed tears. When his eyes fell closed, Mikaela pressed feather light kisses to his eyelids and let her forehead rest against his. All of the women around them were bustling through the kitchen, finishing up the food and getting everything ready to serve, and still the couple was completely blind to the movement around them. All Sam could focus on were the gorgeous blue eyes of his girlfriend and the love for him that shone in those eyes. He wanted to hold her as tight as he could, but his arms were already around her holding her as close as he could. There was no space between each of their bodies, but he still wanted her closer.

"Food's ready!" Judy hollered into the living room. The sudden loud noise jolted them from their reverie and the amused looks on Judy and Julianne's faces were enough to make them both blush again.

Sam and Mikaela sat at the kitchen table along with his mom and grandmother. Julianne wanted to know all about how Sam was doing off at college, and once again Mikaela couldn't help but brag about how good his grades were and how much he had grown up in the time they had been away. His face turned red when Julianne reached across the table and pinched one of his cheeks. The closeness of their family was bittersweet for Mikaela because her own family wasn't close at all. There were no Thanksgiving dinners with the entire family and the only part of her family she'd seen in years was the aunt and uncle that had grudgingly taken her in when her dad had been sent to prison. Her cousins had been close to graduating and they hadn't wanted to start over with an eight year old. As Mikaela got older, she spent less and less time at home.

The men were starting to make their way back to the kitchen for seconds and every one of them made sure to compliment Judy on the food. She tried to give credit to Julianne and the aunts, but it was obvious that Judy had done the majority of the cooking. Sam got up once he was finished eating and took his and Mikaela's plates to the kitchen to throw them away. Paper plates were always used because it lessened the amount of dishes to wash at the end of the night. He came back out with a piece of pumpkin pie for her and she gave him a kiss on the cheek in thanks.

"So, Sam, you missed the first part of my talk with Mikaela," Julianne spoke. Mikaela's head shot up so fast her head spun as she realized exactly what the elder woman was referring to.

"I thought I came in at the beginning?" Sam asked curiously.

"Oh, no dear, you caught most of it but missed the most important part," She answered.

"Well, what was did I miss Nana?" Julianne started to open her mouth to answer Sam's question, but Mikaela cut her off.

"Mrs. Witwicky, would you mind if I told Sam?"

"Absolutely not, Mikaela. I do believe he would rather hear it from you anyhow," Her words were tinged with approval of the woman she fully believed would someday become her grandson's wife.

Mikaela put her hand on Sam's arm so he would look at her. "I told her that I love you and I would marry you tomorrow if you asked."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hope you guys enjoyed my little cliffhanger in the last chapter! ;-) I must say I enjoyed making y'all suffer for a couple days, but I do have a heart so I won't make you wait any longer...**

**Thanks (again) to all who reviewed the last chapter!**

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Sam choked on the drink he'd just taken after hearing Mikaela's answer. He loved her and had thought about marrying her many times, but they'd never talked about it. Hearing it now, in front of his mom and grandmother, completely blew his mind away and left him speechless. He saw the look in his girlfriend's eyes change from dead serious to uncertainty with a little embarrassment because she'd just professed how deep her love for him was and all he could do was sit there in shock. Slowly he let a smile light up his face and reached for the hand she'd laid on his arm.

"Baby, I'd marry you right now if I could but my Nana would have my hide if I didn't give you a proper wedding," Sam leaned over and gently kissed her, enough for her to feel his love but not too intense that his mom and grandma blushed.

They moved into the living room with the rest of the family to watch the football game. Sam and Mikaela leaned against the wall at the back of the room because there was nowhere to sit and Sam knew if he did sit that he would just end up falling asleep. She wound her arms around his waist and had her head on his shoulder and he rubbed her back. There were the angry yells from the men when their team had flags thrown against them or when the momentum shifted to the team they were rooting against, but other than that it was pretty quiet. It was a time to enjoy being with family and there wasn't really a need for talking. They had all done plenty of that before they ate.

The scene was interrupted by a knock at the door, and Judy quickly moved to answer. Everybody that was supposed to be there was there, and she didn't know who it could be. Sam watched curiously as his mom sought out Mikaela a few moments later and heard her say that her dad was at the door. He didn't miss the concerned look on her face, but stayed where he was as she went to talk to him. It was odd that her dad had showed up since he'd refused to join them when Mikaela had invited him the day before. After she'd been gone a while, he decided to go outside and check on them. He opened the front door and saw her dad's hand strike her cheek.

"No wonder your mom bailed as soon as she could," He spat and walked off.

Sam was out the door and had Mikaela in his arms before the man had taken two steps off the porch. His heart broke at the way her shoulders shook as she cried into his chest. He couldn't help the tears that welled up in his eyes for what she'd just endured. It felt like a lifetime before her crying slowed down. At that moment, Sam wanted nothing more than to tear apart the man who had the audacity to call himself her father.

"What is wrong with me? Why can't they love me?" Her words were muffled against his chest, but he understood every painful word.

Sam stepped back so she could see him. "Listen to me. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. If they can't see how amazing you are, then that's their problem. It's nothing you've done. I don't know what he said to you, but it was completely untrue. Everybody in that house knows that you are something special and they've only known you for a couple hours. Baby, you are absolutely perfect."

"You're the amazing one, Sam," Mikaela smiled through the few tears that were still falling.

"If I'm amazing, it's only because of you," He wiped away her tears. "Let's get out of here for a little bit."

"But your family--" Sam cut her off.

"Will get over it. All that matters is you," His lips met hers in a tender kiss. "Stay here. I'll be right back."

Sam ran inside the house to let his mom know they were leaving for a little while. Once back outside, he led her by the hand to the garage. They got in the car and he drove them out to the old dirt road where they'd shared their first kiss. The dirt road had become a special place for them and he knew it would make her happy. Sam sat on the hood of the car with his back against the windshield and Mikaela lay on top of him in between his legs. Bee could tell that both of his charges were upset so he took it upon himself to try to cheer them both up. Random snippets from comedy shows kept playing and a particularly funny clip from 'I Love Lucy' got Mikaela to giggle.

"So, you wanna marry me, do you?" Sam teased.

"Well, you are kinda cute. Sometimes you're funny, too. Marrying you wouldn't be so bad. At least I wouldn't be bored all the time and I wouldn't have to wake up next to some ugly guy," Mikaela grinned playfully.

"I know what you mean. No guy would complain about having to wake up next to a gorgeous woman for the rest of their life."

"No man would complain about sleeping next to a half naked woman," She retorted sarcastically.

"As long as that woman is you, there won't be any complaint from me," Sam gave her a lopsided smile.

"Do you have any idea how irresistible that smile makes you?" Mikaela said softly.

"I happen to think anything you do is irresistible," He replied smoothly.

"Suck up," She rolled her eyes and laughed.

"God, 'Kaela, you are completely breathtaking when you smile like that," Sam whispered, all pretense of joking aside.

"How do you always know exactly what to say?"

"I love you," He said simply.

Bee started playing "Lately" by Tyrese through the radio. Sam let his fingers run up and down her back. Her forehead rested against his cheek as she tucked her head into the crook of his neck. They lay there listening to the music Bee kept streaming through the speakers. The bot always seemed to know exactly what to play although it wasn't surprising considering he could scan them and know how they were feeling. It was almost like Bee could create a soundtrack to their life. Mikaela loved music, and loved that the bot picked songs that fit their moods and situation perfectly.

She was still upset over the things her dad had said to her. They had never been very close, but she had never expected him to be so cruel and heartless. It was obvious he was drunk, but that couldn't take back what he had said. The intent to hurt behind the words was still there, and likely would be for a long time. Tired of thinking about it anymore, Mikaela lifted her head to look at Sam and saw that his eyes were closed. He was so cute just laying there that she couldn't restrain herself from kissing him on the nose. Sam opened his eyes at the contact and chuckled at the innocent look on her face. Now that his eyes were on her, she slowly moved her head until her lips met his in a tender kiss. Sam smiled against her mouth when her fingers played with the hair at the nape of his neck. Her other hand was on his face. Mikaela pulled away when his hands moved to the top of her rib cage and tightly gripped her side, knowing they couldn't take it too far because they were out in the open.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked concerned.

"I will be," She admitted.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Yeah, but later. Right now, let's go back to your house so you can spend time with your family."

"Baby, if you don't want to be around anyone we can stay here. I saw them all earlier. I'll see most of them at Christmas. It's okay," He said.

"Sam, it's fine. I know you don't get to see your family that much, so I want you to be with them as much as you can when you get the chance," Mikaela told him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Besides, I'm with you. I don't care if we're here or in your house with everyone else because I know you'll still be there."

Sam was glad his girlfriend wanted him to spend time with his family because he did miss them but he wouldn't have thought twice about staying with her had she not wanted to go back. The Macarena pounded through the speakers on the maximum volume during the ride back, compliments of their favorite Autobot. They were still laughing when they walked in the front door and Mikaela saw the sly looks some of his cousins gave them. She realized with a start what they must have thought she and Sam had left to go do and ducked her head to keep from blushing. He looked at her curiously and she quietly told him about the looks she'd seen. The thought of them skipping out on the family to go have sex amused him, but he found his mom and let her know that Mikaela and her dad had gotten in an argument and they had left until she had calmed down.

One of the kitchen chairs was empty so he sat in it and pulled his girlfriend down onto his lap. Knowing it was pointless to argue with him, she intertwined her fingers with his when he slid his arms around her waist. The football game was almost over and Sam got just as engrossed in it as his uncles and dad were. Every time he got mad and yelled at the TV, it would startle her and then he would apologize just to forget the next time and do it again. Mikaela lost interest in the game so she turned her head and closed her eyes.

Sam felt her breathing slow and glanced down at her to see she'd fallen asleep. He made sure not to lash out after that. The rest was good for her after the emotional day she had had. Mikaela snuggled closer to his chest and he tightened his arms around her stomach. It still blew his mind that the woman in his arms actually wanted to marry him. Not that he doubted her feelings or their relationship, but he didn't feel like he deserved Mikaela. She was amazing and for some reason she'd decided he was worth falling in love with. How he got so lucky, he couldn't figure out but he wouldn't screw it up. Somehow, some way, he would show her how much he loved her regardless of how long it took.

When the game was over, Sam carefully picked Mikaela up in his arms and carried her upstairs to his bedroom where he laid her on the bed. She didn't even stir when he pulled the blanket over her or kissed her temple before going back downstairs to hang out with his family. He and three of his cousins, Jacob, Kyler, and Drew, went out into the backyard to toss around a football. Out of the three of them, Sam was closest to Jacob because they were only a few months apart in age. Kyler was a year older than them and Drew was Kyler's brother and a year and a half younger. They were pretty cool guys even though Sam was so different from them. Kyler and Drew were both athletic and played football and baseball. Kyler played baseball at a junior college upstate and Drew was hoping to play either sport in college when he graduated. Jacob was the musical one in the family and was an extremely talented singer and guitarist. Sam had always been the geeky one, but it had never bothered the others. All four constantly teased each other for the stereotype they had fallen under in high school.

It didn't take them long to fall into the traditional game of two on two they played every Thanksgiving. The teams had been the same for as long as they could remember. Drew and Sam were always a team. Kyler and Drew wouldn't play on the same team because it gave them an advantage since they both played football in school. Nobody ever remembered who won; the games were just for fun. Being boys, it was always physical. Jacob had separated his shoulder a few years before after a particularly brutal tackle by Drew. He'd played through the pain, and none of the others were even aware he'd been hurt until after the game.

Sam and Drew were down by a touchdown and close to scoring when Jacob speared Sam as he caught the ball. Unfortunately, neither man realized where they were in the yard and when Sam fell back, his head slammed against the sidewalk. The force of the tackle and hitting his head on concrete knocked him out. When he came to, his first thought was that the crazy hysterical lady really needed to be quiet. Then he realized that lady was actually his mom and she had just seen him sprawled out in the backyard not moving. Sam gingerly sat up and saw the guilty look on Jacob's face and the concerned looks on his Uncle Danny and his mom's faces. His uncle checked him for a concussion before anyone would let him get up. Kyler and Drew were his sons so he'd had plenty of experience with hits to the head in the past. Drew and Jacob slowly helped him to his feet.

"Jake, that was a hell of a hit," Sam tried to laugh it off but saw that his cousin was still upset. "Don't worry about it man. Nothing serious, I'm just going to be sore."

"I don't know why you boys feel the need to beat the crap out of each other," His mom threw up her hands in frustration.

"Mom, I'm okay. Uncle Danny says I don't have a concussion," He looked around for a minute. "Mikaela didn't see that, right?"

"No, she's still upstairs asleep," Judy answered.

Kyler and Drew helped Sam back into the house. His mom forced him to lie on the couch and brought him an ice pack for the back of his head. He didn't understand why she was ordering him around like he was five when he was a legal adult. Arguing over it wouldn't do him any good though because Judy was so overprotective of her only child so he closed his eyes to block out the pain. The tackle from Jacob was so hard Sam felt like he had been broken in half. The pounding in his head paled in comparison to the shooting pain in his side. Jacob's shoulder had collided with his hip bone and he knew there was going to be a gnarly bruise.

Their football game was soon forgotten and the other guys joined him in the living room. Drew immediately went for the Xbox and started playing a racing game. Sam was glad he thought to bring it with him when he and Mikaela came back. It wasn't long before people started filtering in to take a turn at the video game and they soon had a tournament of sorts going. Sam would have loved to join in but thought better of it and stayed on the couch. Even his grandpa got in on the fun. It was always amusing to watch him try to get the hang of electronics, but he was smart in his old age so it didn't take long before he was beating the younger boys.

Drew and Curtis were the last two to remain unbeaten. All of the others watched anxiously to see who would come out the champion of their impromptu tournament. Surprisingly, it was Curtis who won and Sam couldn't believe his grandpa had managed to get the best of all the younger boys who lived and breathed video games like the one they had been playing. At the end of the game, the wives all started rounding up their husbands and children to leave. Sam's family all lived at least an hour and a half away and it had started getting late. He stood up and gave each person a hug and a kiss on the cheek for his aunts and grandma, making sure not to hurt himself any worse. His grandparents were the last ones left when Mikaela came down the stairs. The confused look on her face when she saw the loose hugs he gave his grandma and grandpa didn't miss him. She came over and said goodbye to his grandparents too, and laughed when Curtis flirted with her some more. Once the door shut and everyone was gone, Sam grimaced and collapsed into the nearest chair.

"What happened?" Mikaela asked concernedly.

"Jake tackled the hell out of me when we were playing football and I slammed the back of my head on the sidewalk."

"Are you okay? When did it happen?"

"It was an hour or so ago. My head is pounding and my hip hurts, but nothing bad."

"Come here baby, let's go in the living room so you can lie down," Mikaela helped him up and wrapped her arm high around his stomach to help him walk to the couch. She sat down on the end and grabbed the ice pack that he'd set down when he got up earlier. Sam laid down and put his head in her lap. He felt Mikaela softly place the ice against his head and her other hand was splayed in his hair. She was looking down at him when he glanced up and Sam smiled his gratitude. Mikaela couldn't help but feel bad for her boyfriend. It was obvious he was in a lot more pain than he was letting on, and she hated that there was nothing she could really do to make it better for him.


	13. Chapter 13

**I always forget to add this in, but just in case you don't know...I _still_ don't own any part of Transformers. Sucks, I know but that's just life. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Please read & review!**

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Later that night they finally made it upstairs to his bedroom. Sam was a little embarrassed that his girlfriend had basically had to carry him up the stairs and then change his clothes for him, but if it had to be anyone he was glad it was her. He slowly crawled into his bed and lay on his uninjured hip. Mikaela turned off the bedroom light before getting into the bed next to him.

"Do you wanna talk about your dad?"

"He was mad that I wanted to spend Thanksgiving with you and your family. I don't really know why because he knew I was going to since you were with me last year. I'm sure it was all because he was drunk, but he just got so angry. At first he tried to guilt me into going with him, saying that you had all your family here and he didn't have anyone. I told him I wanted to stay with you, and that's when it all went downhill."

"What did he do?" Sam would kill him if he hit Mikaela more than the one time.

"First he called me selfish for abandoning my family to be with "some boy." When he realized I was serious that I didn't want to leave, he started calling me a whore and that the only reason anyone would stay with me for two years is because I was just a good fuck. He said some other things, but I finally told him it was bullshit to accuse me of abandoning my family when he was the one that let himself go to prison because he didn't give a damn about anyone else and that you were more of a man than he was. That's when he slapped me and said what he did about my mom leaving," The pain was evident in her voice, but she didn't cry.

"I could kill him."

"No, don't do that Sam. It's okay. He's always been like that," Sam grew angrier that Mikaela tried to justify her dad's actions.

"Mikaela, it's not okay. He had no right to say any of that."

"I know that, but I also know that you and me, us, isn't about the sex."

"You're damn right it's not. I'm not saying the sex isn't great," Sam smiled guiltily. "If I was with you for sex, we wouldn't have waited two years before we made love for the first time. I don't need to have sex to love you. I love you because of your heart and who you are."

He pulled her flush against him and held her tight even though the movement intensified the pain in his stomach and hip. Her arms found their way around his neck and they shared a kiss before tucked her head into his neck to go to sleep. It was still relatively early for them to go to bed, but they were exhausted from all of the festivities. Sam tilted his head so that his lips were at her ear.

"Love you grease monkey," He whispered.

"Love you too ladies man," Mikaela murmured sleepily.

*************

The rest of the break flew by and before they knew it, Sam and Mikaela were back in Philadelphia. Classes and work quickly consumed them and they went back to rarely seeing each other except on their day off. Lately, she spent more time with Leo than with her own boyfriend. It had been a complete turnaround considering they'd been with each other the entire Thanksgiving break. After a couple weeks back, she got tired of hardly ever seeing him anymore and she and Christian went to see their boyfriends at the sports bar.

The girls headed straight for the bar where they saw a scantily clad woman shamelessly flirting with Sam. Christian rolled her eyes at the woman's antics and Mikaela sidled up to the stool next to her. Sam finally noticed they were there and gave his girlfriend an excited smile.

"He's cute, isn't he?" Mikaela asked the woman.

"Oh yeah, he definitely is," the woman agreed dreamily not knowing she was his girlfriend.

"You wanna know a little secret about him?" She leaned close like it was some big secret.

"What?"

"He's not interested," Sam chose that moment to lean across the bar and kiss her. A blush crept up the woman's neck and she scrambled away from the bar as fast as she could.

"What're you scaring away my customers for?" He asked amused.

"I don't like to share," She playfully replied.

"Careful, my girlfriend might hear you say that."

"Oh, is she here?"

"Yeah, have you seen her? She's this really hot brunette with the most amazing legs you've ever seen," Mikaela made a show of looking around and pointed at a woman sitting at a table.

"She's hot, don't you think?"

"Hmm, she's okay," Sam put his lips to her ear. "She can't compare to you."

He smirked at her as he went back to working. Mikaela and Christian hung out at the bar for a little while until they saw Tyler and Colton, a couple of guys they all partied with at Andy's house a lot, and some of their friends and went to join them. Sam watched them out of the corner of his eye. He trusted his friends not to try anything on the two ladies, but he didn't know the other four guys with them. Mikaela was like the little sister Tyler and Colton liked to pick on and she would take everything they threw at her and give it back just as good. He was making drinks for a couple at the bar when he saw one of Tyler's friends kiss Mikaela on the cheek and put an arm around her shoulder. Knowing he couldn't react to what had just happened because he was at work and the guy was a customer, Sam forced himself to look away and checked on all the other customers at the bar. He was talking to one of the bartenders when an arm reached out and pulled him away and only just noticed it was Mikaela before she kissed him hard. Her tongue ran across his bottom lip, but he couldn't push it because of where they were.

"What was that for?" He asked breathlessly.

"To prove to that guy he doesn't stand a chance," Mikaela answered. She sauntered back to the table and turned and winked at him halfway there.

"Witwicky!" Sam turned to see his boss, Rico, watching him and walked over to him.

"Yes sir?"

"You can't be making out with your girlfriend while you're working, but I can't say I blame you because she's one gorgeous lady," Rico smiled and looked down at his watch. "You've only got an hour or so left, why don't you take off? Derek can handle it from here."

"Thanks Rico. I owe you one!"

Sam wasted little time in clocking out and making his way over to where his girlfriend was. This time her back was to him and she didn't see him as he stopped behind her.

"What do you say you leave all these boys here and come home with me?" He whispered huskily into her ear. Mikaela spun around ready to attack but smiled happily when she realized it was her boyfriend.

"Rico told me I couldn't make out with my gorgeous girlfriend at work and let me go early," Sam said and Mikaela started to get up when the guy who had kissed her cheek earlier spoke up.

"Hey man, sorry for your bad luck, but your girl's goin' home with me tonight. She said she needed a real man," The guy smirked cockily. Colton hissed at him to shut up, but nobody else at the table even moved.

"Justin, I wouldn't go home with you if I was single and drunk," Mikaela said sarcastically. "And Sam is more of a man than you could ever be in your wildest dreams."

"You're gonna let her fight your battles for you?" Justin called out as they were walking away, causing people at other tables to turn around and watch them.

"Trust me, I can fight my own battles, but when the sexiest woman on campus publicly admits you don't stand a chance in hell? There's nothing I can say to top that," Sam left the guy sputtering in anger and embarrassment.

Mikaela rode back to the house with him since she'd given her keys to Christian so she could leave after saying bye to Leo. She went to her room to change into pajamas before joining Sam in his room where she heard him in the shower. When he came out of the bathroom, she was curled up in the middle of his bed watching _Annapolis_.

"You're not mad about him flirting with me and what he said when we left, are you?" She asked when he got in bed.

"No, of course not. I know I'm the only man you're going home with."

"Who would've thought Sam Witwicky, the strangest boy I ever met, would be the only man to take me home?"

"Baby, I used to think about taking you home all the time before the day you got in my car," He flirted.

"Sam!" Mikaela laughed.

"You were hot," He said sheepishly.

"Were?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. You were hot back then, but that was a purely physical attraction. Now, you're gorgeous because I know you. I still think you're hot, but you're so much more."

"I always did have a weakness for hot guys with tight abs and big arms," She put her hand on Sam's bare stomach. He turned so that he was halfway on top of her and she lifted her head to kiss him. Her tongue ran across his lip again and this time he didn't hesitate to deepen their kiss. Mikaela snaked an arm around the back of his neck and pulled his head down closer to hers. His body was shaking as he fought to keep control. Rather than sexual and lust driven, he wanted to keep the kiss tender and loving. It was his way of reminding his girlfriend that he cared about more than the physical attraction between them after their verbal sparring with the guy from the sports bar. Mikaela smiled into his kiss when Sam began tracing lazy patterns on her stomach.

"Hey guys, I got Andy to buy us some beer and a bottle of vodka," Leo called as he came down the stairs and stopped when he noticed Sam and Mikaela were preoccupied. "Ah, crap sorry. I should really learn to knock."

"We'll be up in a minute," Mikaela said. Sam grabbed a shirt from the closet and then they went up the stairs to join their two roommates in the kitchen.

The four of them usually sat around playing drinking games when they drank at home and that night was no different. They started with a card game called spoons that wasn't actually a drinking game, but still fun all the same. It tended to get pretty violent with spoons flying all over, so it had to be one of the first games they played while they were still sober. Sam had an application on his iPhone that listed a bunch of different drinking games and they usually picked at random and played several different ones. Some were sexual in nature while others were just silly.

When it was Christian's turn to pick the game, instead of reaching for Sam's phone to find one, she decided they were going to play "I have never". They had all played it at Andy's house with a big group of people, but never just the four of them. The questions started off relatively easy with things they had all done at some point or another. It was a way to get them all drinking a little more because the good questions always came when inhibitions had been lowered.

"I have never had sex with someone when my parents were home," Leo said. Sam and Mikaela looked at each other as they both remembered Thanksgiving break and took a drink, but neither Leo nor Christian moved. They went around four or five more times, and were all starting to get buzzed from the alcohol.

"I have never hooked up with another girl," Mikaela smirked and to the guys' surprise, Christian lifted the cup to her mouth and took a drink. She sent Mikaela a dirty look to which Mikaela just smiled innocently.

"I have never cheated on someone with an ex," Christian slapped a hand over her mouth and her eyes widened in horror as Mikaela visibly paled. Sam looked back and forth between the two with a feeling of dread in his stomach. With a hard look at the other woman, Mikaela downed the drink she had just made and slammed the cup on the table before walking out of the kitchen.


	14. Chapter 14

**I thought I'd be nice and not make you guys wait any longer for an update after the little cliffy I left you with on the last chapter...**

**Don't get too mad at me...there is always another side to every story! **

**Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter, you guys are still the most amazing readers out there!**

**Please review!**

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Sam caught the look of regret on Christian's face and took off after his girlfriend. He found her staring off into space on the steps of the back porch. Neither said a word as he sat down next to her but didn't touch her. Just as he was about to ask what Christian was talking about Mikaela started talking.

"Do you remember when you went with your parents to a cousin's wedding a couple of months after we started dating?"

"Yeah, that's when Paul and Amanda got married."

"There was this big party for Will Light's birthday. All of my old friends kept begging me to go, and I wasn't going to but you were gone and there was nothing else to do. I figured I'd go for a couple hours and then go back home."

"What happened?"

"Trent and I started hanging out. It was a bad idea and I knew it, but he wasn't flirting with me or anything. He was acting like I was one of the guys, so I didn't think anything of it. Next thing I know, we're both completely wasted and Trent had to pee but Tara Murphy was throwing up in the bathroom so we went outside around the house. All of a sudden he's kissing me and I'm kissing back."

"You made out with Trent when I was out of town?"

"We ended up in one of Will's guest bedrooms after that, and I slept with him. I didn't mean to, and I didn't want to, but it happened and I can't change it no matter how bad I want to."

"You fucked Trent when I was out of town?"

"Sam, it was an accident. I haven't talked to him since then," Mikaela looked over at Sam and saw the anger and disbelief on his face.

"That was almost two years ago, and you never said a word?" Sam asked angrily. "Worse than that, you lied to me! You've let me go on all this time thinking I'm the only guy you've ever been with, but come to find out you had sex with your ex when we were dating!"

"I knew it would hurt you, and it was a one-time accident. It didn't happen before that, and it hasn't happened since!"

"You know what's ironic? At the same time you were fucking Trent, I was drunk off my ass at the wedding party. There was this girl there, she was a friend of the bride, and the whole night she was trying to hook up with me. Do you know what I told her? I told her I had this amazing girlfriend at home who I was absolutely crazy about."

"Sam, I'm sorry," Mikaela said in anguish.

"I'm out of here," Sam stood up and went back inside the house. Christian and Leo had disappeared to give them privacy. Mikaela followed him out the front door to the driveway.

"Sam, wait!" She pleaded.

"I can't be here right now."

"You can't leave like this. You've had way too much to drink and you're pissed off. Don't put your whole life at risk because I made a fucked up choice. I know I've fucked everything up and I know you probably hate me, but please just stay here."

"Look, Mikaela, I love you but I can't look at you right now," He moved to open the driver side door.

"If you really love me, you won't leave like this," She knew it was a low blow, but was willing to do whatever it took to keep him from leaving.

"If I really love you? You cheat on me and lie to me for two years, and then have the nerve to question my love for you?" Sam scoffed and Mikaela recoiled at his cold eyes and bitter tone. He used the opportunity to get in the car and back out of the driveway before she could try to stop him again.

Sam knew he was in no state to drive and asked Bee to take control and drive for him. When Bee asked him what his destination was, he instructed his guardian to get on the highway and just drive. His mind wandered to the weekend of his cousin's wedding. The whole time he'd been gone, Mikaela had been the only thing on his mind but little did he know that while he was thinking about how much he wanted to see his girlfriend, she was sleeping with her ex boyfriend. He had called her first thing the morning after the wedding party, and he remembered how distant she'd been. At the time, Sam assumed she was just tired. Mikaela told him she just missed him when he asked her if anything was wrong. That was the first of many lies to come. Bitterly, Sam wondered if she'd still been in bed with Trent when he'd called.

More than anything, Sam was upset that she hadn't trusted him enough, hadn't trusted in them enough, to come to him before now. It was obvious she hadn't even planned to tell him since it had taken a drunken slip of the tongue by Christian before Mikaela had admitted it to him. He still would've been mad that she cheated on him, but he could understand because he had almost done the same thing. The girl at the wedding had been good looking and he'd been really inebriated. The temptation had almost been too much to handle, but even drunk he still thought about her constantly and that had kept his hormones in check. Maybe that's why her revelation hurt him so bad. They'd both been in the same type of situation. Thoughts of her had kept Sam from making a mistake but he had evidently been the furthest thing from her mind.

This was the first time Sam doubted Mikaela's love for him. The incident had occurred so long ago that he couldn't tell anymore what was real and what she had lied about. It had obviously been easy for her to lie about Sam being her first, how was he to know she wasn't lying about loving him? That thought was the hardest for him to deal with out of the whole situation. Every time she said she loved him, he had believed it wholeheartedly. He'd known Mikaela loved him the day he left for college the first time when she had wanted so badly for him to say it first, but now his faith was shaken.

Sam lost all track of time because he was so distracted. He knew they'd been driving for a long time, but he wasn't sure what time he'd taken off and he never looked at the clock in the car. Bee had stayed silent the entire ride, and Sam was thankful for it. As much as he loved Bee's random song snippets, he was in no mood to hear them tonight and he didn't want to take out his anger on his guardian. Where he and Mikaela would go from here, he didn't know. His love for her hadn't wavered a single iota, but Sam didn't know if he could trust her again.

Bumblebee was worried about his charge. The boy hadn't moved a muscle since he stopped driving. It was obvious how far they'd driven away from Philadelphia, but Sam had instructed Bee to drive and that's what the Autobot had done. Bee did a quick scan over Sam and realized he had dozed off. Whatever the fleshling was running from, Sam was stubborn enough that they would end up back in California before he told Bee to stop. It didn't really matter what Bee did because either way someone would be upset with him. Sam would be upset when he realized Bee had taken him home, but Mikaela would be furious if they ended up thousands of miles away. In all honesty, Bee was more afraid of Mikaela than Sam even though he was a Transformer and could squash them with one step if he so chose; not to mention that Mikaela was already going to be mad at him considering Bee had driven Sam six hours west of Philadelphia and it would be another six hours before they got back. When they reached the state line, he knew it was time to turn around and go home.

*************

Mikaela had been worried when she woke up that morning to find Sam and Bee still hadn't returned. She had tried to call him, but realized it was a futile effort when she heard his phone ringing in the kitchen where he'd left it the night before. Christian and Leo had class that morning so Mikaela had been alone since getting up. Christian had tried to stay home with her, but Mikaela had assured the other woman that she was okay and not mad that Christian had let her secret out.

She was watching TV in the living room when the front door opened and Sam walked in early in the afternoon. Their eyes met from across the room and Mikaela started to say something but stopped when his face hardened and he went to his room without saying a word. This time she didn't follow him, knowing he'd only run away again and she would rather he avoid her at home than to take off to God knows where.

It was a week before either spoke again. Mikaela's psychology class was that morning and she couldn't find her book. She'd searched the entire house to no avail, and knew she had no choice but to ask Sam. He was coming out of the bathroom and she almost tripped at the bottom of the stairs at the sight of him in a towel. It wasn't anything she hadn't already seen many times, but she was already nervous enough about talking to him and hadn't expected to find him half naked.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were in the shower."

"It's fine," Sam said tonelessly without looking at her.

"Have you seen my psych book? I've looked everywhere upstairs and can't find it."

"I think it's on the desk," Mikaela found it on the desk and turned back to see him watching her until he realized he'd been caught and averted his eyes.

"Sam," She hated the pitiful way she'd said his name.

"What?"

"Where do we go from here?"

"I don't know," was his honest answer. "I think it's best if we take a break right now."


	15. Chapter 15

**I warned you guys there was a bit of drama coming up, didn't I? This one is definitely a little more emotional, but I hope y'all like it! It's pretty dialogue heavy, but that's just the way some chapters go.**

**Please review!!!**

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Sam had spent the past two hours working on his algebra homework. So far all he had done was half of the first problem. None of it made a lick of sense to him, and he was fighting with himself because he knew what he was going to have to did and he didn't like it. There was only one other person he knew of that was taking the same class.

That's how Sam found himself standing at the door of the one person he really didn't want to see at the moment. He hesitated trying to decide if he should knock or just walk in, and finally took a deep breath and turned the door knob. By the time it dawned on him it would have been a wise idea to at least call out her name to alert her to his presence, it was already too late and he had opened the door to see her walking out of the adjoining bathroom wearing nothing but a towel on her head.

"Fuck, I should've knocked," Sam croaked and immediately turned his back to her. "I'll just wait in the hall."

"Just stay there for a second and let me grab my clothes and go back to the bathroom," The tension between them had just skyrocketed considerably but he stood with his hand gripping the door knob until he heard the bathroom door click shut. With a sigh, his forehead fell against the door and he mentally cursed himself for being so horrible at algebra. Before her revelation, the sight of her naked body would usually have ended with them tangled up in the sheets. Or he would've been in the shower with her. Now seeing her naked had him wondering just how much Trent had touched. Had it been slow and sensual? Or fast and rough?

Mikaela tried to take a deep breath on the other side of the bathroom door to calm her racing hearts, but it wasn't working. Her hands were shaking visibly when she looked in the mirror, and as much as she didn't want to go back out there she knew she couldn't hide in the bathroom all night. Seeing him standing awkwardly next to the door made her heart ache; any other time he had ever been in her room he had made himself right at home on her bed or the chair at her desk. Steeling herself for whatever he'd come to say, she spoke up to let him know it was okay to turn back around.

"What's up?" Her words didn't come out as nonchalant as she had hoped.

"I can't figure out my algebra homework. You're the only other person taking the same class," Sam's eyes bored holes in her carpet.

"What are you working on?"

"Complex numbers. The whole "i" thing confuses the hell out of me," Sam shrugged his shoulders as if it was no big deal, but Mikaela knew him well enough to know that he couldn't stand not being able to understand something.

"I know. You used to show up at my house at 10 o'clock every night wanting my help..." She trailed off as she remembered how those innocent study times always seemed to be cut short because they couldn't keep their hands off each other. "Um, anyway, where is your...uh...your book and stuff?"

"In my room. I wasn't sure if you were here or if you would be able to help me," The trip down memory lane had made everything that much more awkward.

"Do you want to go down there, or come back here, or what?"

"Might as well go down there. I'm too lazy to carry that big ass book anywhere if I don't have to," There was a ghost of a smile on his face but it was gone as soon as it appeared.

Mikaela wordlessly followed Sam to his room and waited for him to get a folding chair from his closet before taking a seat next to him at the desk. The first thing she had noticed while he was getting the chair was that every picture he had of him and her had been turned around backwards. Seeing firsthand the depth of the pain she'd caused made her rethink his decision to study in his room and not somewhere neutral like the kitchen or living room.

Determined to keep their interaction as casually platonic as she could, Mikaela forced her eyes away from the picture frames and looked to see exactly what he was working on. At least his homework was over something that she understood easily, which meant they would only have to be in each other's presence long enough for her to explain it and make sure he did the remaining problems correctly.

The longer Sam sat so close to her, the less he could focus on his homework. He didn't want to be affected by the smell of her shampoo or how soft her skin looked. Her nearness was driving him crazy because he still loved this woman with all his heart and he wanted to touch her, kiss her, and he couldn't do either. It pissed him off the way she seemed so blasé about what they had come to. What about Thanksgiving and the way she'd poured her heart out to him in front of his mom, grandma, and aunts? What about the way she'd said she would say yes whenever he asked her to marry him? Had that all been a lie too? Was he just a game to her? See how far she could take him, and then break his heart?

"I need to go to the bathroom," He stood up abruptly and hastily made his way across his room where he shut the door behind him. Hands tightly gripping the countertop, he squeezed his eyes shut and took several deep breaths trying to dispel the thoughts running through his head. It was too important for him to keep his grades up to let their issues distract him from the help she was giving him. Luckily, they were close to halfway done. If he had made it this far, he could stand it for a little while longer. Never before had he been so glad Mikaela was so good at algebra.

Sam gave her a shaky smile as he sat back down in his chair, subtly moving it a couple inches away from her. If she noticed, she didn't say anything and he was glad for that. He got back to work on his homework, only speaking when he got stuck or wanted her to check his answer on problems he completed. Of course, it didn't help that his professor routinely assigned 50 or more problems for homework but once he got the hang of it, he started to fly through the remainder of the assignment. The last fifteen or so were more complex so she had to help him through the first problem and explain a little bit more. As he started to work out the rest, she started to interrupt him if he got lost rather than wait for him to try to finish it before she corrected him the way she had with all the rest of them. It became obvious that she was just as anxious for him to finish as he was so they could go their separate ways. Sam was working on the second to last problem when he got stuck halfway through. Not sure if he could trust his voice enough to ask for her help, he studied the pages in his textbook, willing the words to magically make sense in his head so he could finish it. At this point, he almost wished he'd just fumbled through it all himself rather than ask her for help and torturing himself by being in her presence. So focused on the textbook, he didn't see Mikaela reaching for his pencil to erase what he'd done wrong and froze when her fingers grazed his hand. They had done so well so far to not touch each other, and he had to clench his fists both to calm his nerves and to fight the electric shock that passed through his body from the simple touch.

"How could you?" Sam hated the pathetic way his voice sounded so damned strangled.

"Sam..." Mikaela whispered pleadingly. They both sat there rigidly, still staring at his homework.

"How could you do this? After everything we've been through? Did I really mean so fucking little to you, Mikaela? Have you been laughing at the way you've had me in the palm of your hand since the day you first got in my car?" He turned to look at her and for the first time, she saw the brokenness in his eyes that reflected back at her.

"Sam, no, it's not like that. It's never been like that!"

"Well then what the fuck was it?" He had been holding in his emotions since she'd admitted what happened, and he had a feeling there was no way to stop now that his walls had cracked.

"It was an accident, Sam! I shouldn't have even gone, but I did and I'm paying for it! Do you know what it was like for me to have you look at me every single day and tell me you love me and know that I was too much of a coward to admit what I had done?"

"Obviously I don't know since you hid it from me for damn near two years!" Sam pushed his chair back and stood up to put more distance between them.

"It's not like I'm the only one who hid something! How come you never once said anything about the girl at the wedding party?" Mikaela had a feeling this was going to be bad. Either way, they would both get everything they were feeling out in the open.

"Because I didn't do anything with her! Because even drunk off my ass, I still cared way too damn much about you to even think of hooking up with her!" Betrayal rolled off Sam in waves, and the magnitude of the emotion made Mikaela want to hurl.

"Oh, so because I made one mistake, everything we had suddenly means nothing? Everything we've been through, everything we've planned, it's all bullshit now?"

"Well, if the shoe fits," He spit out angrily.

"Have you even wondered why I never said anything?" Mikaela shot back. "Or did you just automatically assume I was just some lying, cheating whore?"

"That's all I think about. I never, ever gave you a reason not to trust me. I've never given you a reason to be scared to talk to me," They hadn't been arguing very long, but Sam was already drained. He was still angry, but his dominant emotion these days was heartbreak. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape it for very long. "But how do I know it's the truth? How do I know you're not trying to reel me back in to fuck with my head some more?"

"Aside from this, have I ever once given you a reason to doubt that I love you with all my heart?" She asked softly. "Did you ever once wonder if I was lying when I said I loved you? When I told your grandma that I would marry you tomorrow, did you think that was a lie?"

"No," His voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Then how can one mistake erase two and a half years? I get it, Sam. I hurt you in the worst way, but I've never lied to you about the way I feel," She stepped towards him and reached out to touch him but he backed out of her reach. "I will always love you. No matter what happens now, there's never going to be anyone else for me. There isn't a man in this world who could compare to you."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He had to know.

"I never was good enough for you, Sam. A part of me has been waiting all this time for you to realize that and leave me behind," Her lips curved into a sad smile. "You've always told me that's not true, but I proved that I'm not good enough. The right woman would never have even thought about doing that to you."

"Nobody can say you're not good enough for me, Mikaela. It's up to you and me," He paused and looked at her curiously. "Have I ever made you feel like that?"

"God, no, Sam never," Mikaela wrapped her arms around her waist and fought the tears that wanted to fall. The anger and yelling she could handle, but the heart breaking soft sound of his voice was causing her to lose it.

"Then why?"

"I'm used to not being good enough. My mom, my dad, my friends, every guy I've ever dated...I wasn't ever enough."

"I'm not any of them, Mikaela. I'm just the guy who has loved you with all my heart since the day we met," Without realizing exactly what he was doing, Sam stepped closer to her and tenderly touched her cheek. Her hand flew up to wrap her fingers around his forearm but other than that she stood unmoving staring into his eyes.

"You're the last person I ever wanted to hurt," A few tears fell from her eyes and she watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed. "You know me, Sam, inside and out. Better than anyone else ever has or ever will. Do you really think everything I've said or done the whole time we've been together has been a lie? Do you really think I don't love you so much it hurts to be away from you like this?"

Try as he might, he couldn't look in her eyes without imagining Trent kissing her and she kissing him. His eyes fell closed as he tried to force away the vision and he had to put some more space between them.

"Mikaela, I love you and I always will," Sam couldn't help the choked tone of his voice or the way his tears fell freely. "But I don't know if I can love you anymore and that breaks my heart. I can't look at you and not see him kissing you. I look in your eyes and I see you kissing him, and it kills me."

The finality of his words were like knives to her heart and she had to clinch her teeth to suppress the anguished moan that wanted to rip out of her body. She closed the distance between them and kissed him like she never had before. One hand held his cheek and the other was balled in a fist at her side. Her arms itched to wrap around his neck, but that would've been too much contact for either of them.

"I made a mistake. One I've regretted every day since. Don't ever think for a second that one drunken night erases every other day we've ever had, every night we've spent together. If this is it, then I'll respect your decision. I've done this to us, and I'll live with that the rest of my life. But I love you with everything I have and I want to grow old with you. You and nobody else, forever."

Mikaela turned to leave his room. She wished he would call out her name and stop her, but she knew he wouldn't. There was nothing left for him to say. Time would tell if he could forgive her and they could find a way back to each other.


	16. Chapter 16

**Well, I'm sure glad you guys are enjoying this latest twist! I hope this one lives up to all the praise I received for the last one!**

**I thought I'd respond to the review from VisualIDentificationZeta:  
While I do respect your opinion, I just want to remind you (along with everyone else in case they've forgotten) of something I said at the beginning of chapter 14: there is always another side to every story. It is hinted at in this chapter, and will be revealed in an upcoming chapter. I believe it's chapter 20, but that could very well change. And of course, this is a fiction story based upon a sci fi/fantasy movie. Forgive me if I use that to my advantage every once in a while. Please don't think I'm calling you out or discrediting the way you feel, because I greatly appreciate your review and I hope you will continue to read my story. I look forward to future reviews from you!**

**As always, enjoy the latest installment in my world of fantasy and please review!**

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Christian and Mikaela were sprawled out on Mikaela's bed studying for their Anatomy & Physiology test they had the next morning. At least, Christian was studying. Mikaela was doing a good job of acting like she was studying but in reality she couldn't stop thinking about the night before with Sam. They had made so many promises and now she knew there was a very real chance she would lose it all because of one big mistake. Why couldn't she ever tell him? If there was anyone who could have forgiven her, it would've been Sam. He was the best person she knew.

"Mik, have you even read a single word on that page?" Christian asked her friend.

"I read the page number," Mikaela replied trying to lighten the mood.

"Honey, you're not even on the right chapter."

"I'm not even quite sure what the right chapter is."

"What happened last night? Leo and I heard you yelling at each other, then it got quiet, and then you were running off to your bedroom and locking the door," Christian turned on her side so she was facing the other woman.

"I was helping him with his algebra, and it was all going fine until we accidentally touched. It was like that one touch just completely broke the dam. All of a sudden we're yelling back at forth over me cheating on him and he's pissed because I never told him. I don't blame him for that at all. I should have called him right after. At least he would have known I wasn't trying to hide it. Now, because I fucked up, he's questioning whether I ever really loved him."

"How could he seriously think you never loved him? I mean, you and Trent..." Christian suddenly paused and looked at Mikaela in disbelief. "You didn't tell him the whole story, did you?"

"Why would it even matter? It wouldn't change anything! I still cheated on him. I still hid it from him for like two years."

"Mikaela, it changes everything! How could you not tell him?"

"If I tell him, it looks like I'm trying to excuse what I did. I won't do that."

"You have to tell him!"

"No, Chris, it's too late," She sighed and sat up. "He found out a week ago. I tell him the rest of the story, and it looks like I'm playing games. I'm not. I love Sam with all my heart, and I would rather him never find out the truth than to tell him and hurt him worse because I know it would."

"I think you're making a mistake," Christian opened her mouth to say more but they were interrupted by Leo walking in the door.

"Hey, baby, you ready?" Leo asked his girlfriend. "Hey 'Kaela."

Mikaela smiled and waved at him as Christian put all her stuff back into her backpack.

"I'm sorry, I promised Leo I'd go out with him tonight," Christian squeezed Mikaela's shoulder. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just gonna go to bed."

Mikaela watched as her two friends left her bedroom and fell back on the bed. Had it really only been a week since Sam found out? It felt like it had been so much longer than that. Sleep didn't come easy anymore. It had been months at least since she'd had to sleep in her own bed knowing he wasn't going to come crawl in next to her at some point. Even over the summer before he left, she'd spent half the nights at his house. Well, to be fair, most of their senior year had gone the same way.

Clothed in a pair of his boxers and one of his old t-shirts she wore to bed to try to trick her mind into thinking Sam was there when he really wasn't, Mikaela laid down and cried herself to sleep for the seventh night in a row.

*************

Both of them quickly found ways to avoid being home at the same time whenever they could. Christian tried to spend as much time with Mikaela as she could, but Mikaela knew her friend wanted to be with her boyfriend and started hanging out with other friends to occupy her time. She made a point to avoid The Sideline whenever Sam was working. It was almost funny in a sad sort of way; they lived together, but neither had seen each other outside of class since Mikaela had helped him with his homework. They knew each other's schedules so well that rearranging theirs had been easy. Mikaela still had the same day off, but she'd gotten a job with Christian because she was tired of all the lewd and provocative comments she got from working as a mechanic. Instead of being with Sam on her day off like she used to, she now spent all of her free time at the library.

Almost two weeks since Christian's drunken statement had changed all four of their lives dramatically had gone by; a little over half a week since Mikaela and Sam's argument in the basement. Finals had kept them busy all week, and tonight they were going to celebrate the semester almost being over at the drive in. Christian and Leo had gotten the other two to promise to show up, and now they were just waiting for Sam to get home from the library so they could go.

How the night was supposed to be any fun for them Mikaela didn't know, but she was at least going to try to keep the peace. It was important to Christian that this not break them all apart especially since she still felt like it was all her fault. Time and time again, Mikaela tried to assure her best friend that the only person to blame was herself because she was too much of a chicken shit to tell the truth.

"Hey, Sam just called and told us to take Bee and meet him at the drive in," Leo said walking into the living room. "I guess the friend he was studying with lives right by it and offered to take him."

"Guess that means I'm driving then," Mikaela rolled her eyes and they followed her out to the driveway. "Damn stubborn car. Why does he have to be so anal about who drives? It's not like any of us could seriously wreck the car."

Being in the Camaro was hard enough for her to handle, and now she was being forced to sit in the one seat she didn't want to. The last time she had even been this close to the car had been the night Sam took off after he found out. Memories flooded back to her at such a rapid pace she could barely breathe before the next one started. There was their first kiss on the hood after they returned from the battle at Mission City. The night Sam had finally asked her to be his girlfriend. The hundreds of times they had snuck out of class to make out, or more, in the backseat. The way she'd curled up between the seat and his chest on their way back from California after Thanksgiving.

The memories finally stopped and she realized her knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel so hard she had left an imprint in the steering wheel cover. With a deep breath, she backed the car out of the driveway and silently drove them to the theater. Thankfully they had had a fairly mild winter so far, and it wasn't too cold out even though it was so close to Christmas. Since they were frequent customers, Leo had gotten pretty friendly with the owner and had called him to make sure they would be open. The owner had decided to keep it open all week rather than just the weekends as they usually did through the winter as an outlet for all the college students who had been cramming for finals and needed a break, and also because they would be closing at the end of the week until sometime in early February because the weather generally got worse during those months.

They waited until the last possible moment before they got out of the car, thus losing the heater, and got situated. Mikaela was trying to decide where she was going to sit. She could lay out on the hood like she always did and risk the closeness to Sam, or she could play third wheel and sit in one of the fold out canvas chairs next to Christian and Leo. Her decision was made for her when Christian chose to give up her seat next to her boyfriend and crawl on the hood next to Mikaela so that Sam's only option was her recently vacated chair.

Mikaela was the first to notice when Sam and his friend, whom she realized with a start was a woman, pulled in next to them. Leo had led her and Christian to believe that Sam's friend was a guy. It had to be an accident, because he wouldn't have let Sam blindside her like this. She saw the nervous looks her two friends gave her, but her eyes were locked on the woman with Sam in the black Silverado Z-71. Whatever her name was, she was gorgeous and that fact was doubly reinforced when she slid out of the truck. Long legs were covered by tight black pants, and she wore a long sleeve polo shirt that clung to every curve imaginable on her torso. Blond hair hung in waves just below her shoulder blades and her striking green eyes could rival Mikaela's in brightness.

Her chest tightened when she saw the familiar ease between the two and the flirty smile that was aimed only at Sam. Fingers intertwined with hers and she looked to her left to see Christian looking at her apologetically. She tried to give her a reassuring smile, but didn't quite have the strength. It was rare that any of them brought someone else along and even Leo, for all his old ways, had never brought another woman with them. If Mikaela remembered correctly, the only other people that had ever come along were Andy and Balie a couple of times and Tyler and Colton once.

"Mik, we can leave if you want to. He shouldn't have brought another girl with him," Christian said softly.

"No, Chris, it's fine. If she makes him happy, we'll have to get used to it. He and I are obviously over, and we can't avoid all his future dates forever," She said determinedly.

"It hasn't even been a full two weeks."

"You think I don't know that? There's nothing we can do."

"Guys, this is Anna. We have government together," Sam introduced. "Anna, this is Leo, Christian, and...Mikaela."

"Oh, Mikaela, I've heard so much about you!" Anna squealed.

"Oh, well isn't that nice?" Mikaela retorted in the same tone of voice. She caught Sam's eye for a second before she had to make herself look away. Those eyes she'd grown to love so much were now the eyes of a stranger.

Leo sat next to Christian on the hood to give Anna the other chair. The three of them were crowded together, but it at least help keep away the chill when the wind would pick up. Mikaela forced herself to keep her eyes on the screen and not look off to the right at her boyfriend, or ex boyfriend as it now seemed, and the girl he'd brought with him. Every ten seconds Anna would laugh at something Sam said as they talked throughout the movie. The same way they used to, back before everything had fallen apart.

The more she tried to tone out the annoying laughter and the low sounds of his voice, the more she wasn't able to focus on anything else. After a while, she gave up on trying to forget and allowed herself to be masochistic. She couldn't look away from Anna's head resting on his shoulder or the way his hand was on the back of her chair. She couldn't look away when she would periodically lift her head and whisper something into his ear. Anna's hand moved to his back where she slowly rubbed circles around his shoulder blades. Mikaela stared at them so long, she didn't miss the bored and annoyed look on Sam's face when Anna tried to get closer to him. Her breaking point was the other woman took Sam's face in her hands and kissed him.

"Okay, that's it," Mikaela spat and jumped off the hood to Christian and Leo's surprise.

"What is your problem?!" Anna hissed when she yanked her out of the chair and away from Sam.

"Let me be _extremely_ clear here," She was standing right in the other girl's face. "Sam is _not_ into you. You need to leave, and you need to stay the fuck away from him."

"Honey, don't be jealous because he obviously wants _me_ more than he wants _you_," A small part of Mikaela respected Anna for standing her ground.

"No, see that's where you're wrong. I know how he acts when he wants you. He touches you constantly. His hand is either on your back or your hip or wrapped around your waist. When he wants you, he has this amazing smile that he gives you and you know it's not meant for anyone else. He'll whisper in your ear for hours just to be that close to you. Depending on his mood, he'll kiss you in random places. The forehead when he's happy. The temple when he's feeling romantic or possessive. The neck when you've turned him on. The eyelids when you're upset and he doesn't want you to cry. The lips when he wants you to know just how much he loves you. I know how he acts when he's into you. I was with him for two years," Mikaela's eyes blazed with hatred for the other woman not because of anything personally but because Sam had used her to get payback and it had worked. "You? You're just a pawn in his game."

"It's not my fault he asked me out," Anna backed up a little as she started to realize what she was getting into.

"The only reason you're even here right now is because he wants me to know how it feels. I fucked up and I hurt him and he's making me pay for it."

"That's bullshit, right Sam?" She looked over at Sam for confirmation, but he gave her a sheepish grin and shrugged his shoulders. Mikaela had nailed his intentions exactly.

"See what I mean? You mean nothing to him. So just crawl up in your truck and get the fuck out of here. Stay away from him. If there's one thing in this world I will fight for, it's him. Don't waste your time trying to fight me. You won't win, I guarantee you that," Mikaela watched as the other woman huffed and stomped off to the driver's side of the truck in anger and humiliation and peeled away from them sending dirt flying right at them. Once the truck was gone, she moved until she was standing eye to eye with Sam. "You fucking _asshole_. Yeah, I fucked up, but at least I didn't flaunt it in front of you."

"Oh, no baby, you decided to hide it from me," Sam said harshly.

"Well I'm sorry I would rather have hated myself for the rest of my life than hurt you," She paused until he was looking her in the eye. "I'm sorry I love you that fucking much."

"If love is cheating and then lying for two years, then you can keep it. I don't want it."

"Fuck you!" Mikaela slapped Sam across the cheek so hard her hand instantly went numb. "Forgive me, not all of us can be perfect like you."

With one last look at him holding his cheek in disbelief, she spun around and walked out of the drive in ignoring Christian as she called out to her. It was a twenty minute drive from the drive in to their house, but that was on the highway. Mikaela knew it could possibly be hours before she made it home, but there was no way she was going back. Right now she was so furious at Sam her hands were shaking uncontrollably, but she knew by the time she got home the anger would have melted away and be replaced by pain so acute it would take her breath away.

There was no escaping it now. She and Sam were finished. Everything they had was gone. There would be no going back.


	17. Chapter 17

**I know you guys hate cliffhangers, so I'm just going to apologize in advance for this one ;-) I don't own Jagermeister (though if I did, I would probably be drunk on Jager bombs 24/7) and any other brand name that may be in here. Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I'm issuing a challenge to everyone who reads this: I wanna hit 90 reviews before the next chapter. That's 12 that I need to get there. No new chapter until I get to 90, and I know you guys are gonna be impatient for the next one after the cliffy you get today so I'm counting on you!**

**Again--thanks to all my reviewers (well, everybody who reads this really) and enjoy!!**

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Ever since the night at the drive in, the other three had only seen Mikaela a handful of times. They knew from Tyler and Colton that Mikaela had taken to sleeping on the couch in their apartment. The only time she would come to the house is when she knew without a doubt that Sam wouldn't be there. Christian saw her at least once every day, always going to the apartment to see her, but they didn't talk a lot. She spent the biggest part of their time together holding her friend as she sobbed uncontrollably for hours at a time. Her heart broke for the woman who had always seemed so unbreakable.

Mikaela felt completely lost. More than anything she loved Sam but she'd cost them their future by keeping an enormous secret from him for so long. She wanted to fight for him, for them, but all the crying she had done had left her completely and totally exhausted. Between that and finals, it was a miracle she was still walking around. Whether or not she would pass the finals she'd tried to study for was a different story. Christian and Leo had helped her study as best they could, but they had their own finals to worry about. Colton was in her psychology class, so they'd spent a lot of time going over the review and everything they'd learned. Her algebra final that morning had been easy. The real test would be her government and A&P exams. Government especially because nobody else was taking the class and she'd been forced to study on her own. At least they were over though, that's all she cared about.

************

Sam was miserable. There was really no other way around it. He was angry, he was hurt, he was just...empty. No matter what happened between them, Mikaela was always going to have his heart. There was no getting around that. He could never love any other woman the way he loved her. But was that enough anymore? The cheating on Trent he could forgive, and pretty much already had. She'd been drunk. Trent was enough of an asshole to take advantage of that, but it hadn't helped that he had been drunk too. Could there have been more to the story? What if...what if Trent had slipped something in her drink when she wasn't looking? _No_, Sam thought, _that's not possible. She would have told me._ Had Trent done something to her drink, Mikaela would have admitted it immediately because, for one thing, it wouldn't have been her fault she slept with him and, for another, she would have freaked out and been really upset. No, his biggest issue with the whole situation was that she'd never felt she could tell him. In the beginning he could kind of understand because their relationship had been fairly serious from the start. Bumblebee had brought them together that day as friends, but the battle at Mission City had exposed their attractions to each other. From the beginning they had both shared deep feelings. They had had the newness of the relationship, but the way they'd cared about each other would have lead strangers to think they had been dating for a while. Back then, how would she have known they date through the rest of high school and into college? So, he could understand not wanting to screw up a brand new relationship. Why then had she never said anything once it became clear that nothing, or so he thought, could break them apart? Sam didn't, couldn't, understand that part.

The night at the drive in had been a total asshole move on his part. Her slap bad been deserved, but he would be lying if he said it didn't shock the hell out of him. Bringing another girl to the drive in? They rarely ever even brought _friends_ with them. It had always been just the four of them. Anna had only come because he had been feeling vindictive. The look on Mikaela's face when they had shown up...it had made Sam want to crawl under a rock. Regardless that she'd hurt him, he would never seriously want to intentionally hurt her to get some sort of revenge, and yet that's exactly what he'd done. He still wanted to be with her; he just didn't know how they could survive this latest turn of events. Her absence in the house was weird to get used to. It had been so long since she'd not been around. The strange part for him was that he knew she was staying with Colton and Tyler, knew they wouldn't hesitate to come on to her if she was single, but he had absolutely no worry about her hooking up with either of them even though she was technically free now. She'd cheated on him with her ex boyfriend, and yet he somehow instinctually knew she wasn't going to be dating anyone else despite the fact that they were obviously over.

There was a small part of him that wanted to go running to her and take her back. Despite everything, he didn't want to live without her. Even still, he wouldn't let himself do that. It wouldn't be good for either of them. If they ever got back together, they both had a lot to work through before they could make it work. Right now it would only hurt them in the end. There would be no happy endings if he ran back to her tonight. Sure, both of them would be happier but their issues would inevitably tear them apart since enough time hadn't gone by for them to sufficiently overcome this pain.

All that was left to do was try to hold his head high and keep living each day. His and Mikaela's future was out of his hands. Whatever was meant to happen would happen. He just hoped he could live with whatever that may be.

************

It was the last weekend before finals and Christmas break. A friend of a friend of Andy and Balie was throwing a huge party and Christian had made Mikaela promise to go because she'd been so reclusive the last few weeks. As big as the party was hyped to be, she figured it would be easy to avoid Sam if he showed up. She didn't really want to go, but it would be the last real interaction she would have until after New Years. Before Sam had found out about her infidelity, they had planned for her to go home with him for Christmas. There was no way Mikaela could go home with him now and she hadn't talked to her dad since he'd shown up at Sam's on Thanksgiving, so the only other option was staying in Philadelphia.

Christian came barging into Mikaela's room at a quarter to nine trying to hurry her up. They had planned to make it to the party by 8:30. Leo had chosen to go with Sam so he wouldn't have to show up alone since Sam and Mikaela wouldn't go together. The guys had left half an hour ago and Mikaela was twenty minutes away from being ready. Even though she wasn't going to the party to hook up with someone, she still wanted to look good. Before Sam, she would have used a party to make an ex boyfriend jealous but she loved him too much to hurt him anymore. That's why she did everything she could to avoid him; every time he looked at her she knew he was thinking of what she'd done with Trent.

They arrived at the party an hour late and got drinks before Christian went off in search of Leo. Mikaela followed her until she saw that Sam was with him, and then went in the opposite direction to where Andy and Balie were talking with a few people she recognized from various classes or parties at Andy's house. Their close friends knew Sam and Mikaela were broken up, but so far the four of them had been able to keep the reason between them. Several guys asked Mikaela to dance, but she said no to all but those she was friends with. After awhile, she made her way to the game room and found Colton and a bunch of his fraternity brothers. Colton was like her big brother and would make sure none of the guys tried anything. Tyler was there too, and watched her back just like Colton did. The only downside of hanging out with Colton and his buddies was that at some point she'd see Justin again, and she wasn't looking forward to being in the same room as the cocky womanizer.

There were easily fifty people or more at the party. It was some guy named Ethan's parent's house and according to Andy, his parents were gone on some annual romantic getaway. The house was massive and in an upscale neighborhood on the outskirts of Philadelphia. At least the size of the house and the number of people made it easy for Mikaela and Sam to steer clear of each other. Tate, one of Colton's frat brothers, challenged her to a game of ping pong. He had come over to Andy's with Colton and Tyler a couple of times and he was a really sweet guy. It was easy to be comfortable around him and she knew he had no ulterior motives. She had teased him many times because he was so atypical of what most of their guy friends were like, and he teased her about being more manly than him because she worked on cars.

She noticed immediately when Justin showed up. He had this intimidating presence about him that couldn't be ignored. Her nerves went on alert when their eyes met and he had a strange glint in his eye. Mikaela shook it off as a product of her imagination combined with the alcohol she'd consumed. The competitive game of ping pong between her and Tate resumed. It was nice to hang out with a guy that had no expectations with her. Tate knew that he stood no chance with Mikaela, even though it was obvious she and Sam were no longer together, so he didn't even try to flirt with her. He treated her just like he would any of his frat brothers. Hanging out with Tate was a lot like hanging out with Leo, except that Leo knew everything that had happened between her and Sam. Leo had started acting real cautiously around her, as if he thought she was fragile and would break at any moment. Of course, he was right to a point but it was refreshing to spend time with someone who didn't know the story and would treat her like a normal person.

Part of her felt guilty for hanging out with a bunch of guys when the whole reason her and Sam broke up was because she'd cheated on him with Trent. It probably wouldn't do much in the way of proving to Sam that he could trust her not to do it again. She knew that she could never be with another guy as long as Sam was around, but it was a given that he didn't know that. He had trusted her all this time to be faithful, and then found out later that she had messed up very early on in their relationship. At the same time, though, who else was she supposed to hang out with? Christian would be with Leo all night and he would be with Sam. The rest of their friends would probably make their way towards the three at some point, and Mikaela didn't really know anyone else well enough to hang out with them.

At least Tate was really funny. His antics did a good job of keeping her mind off of the fact that she hadn't even wanted to come to the party in the first place. He had this really dry, sarcastic sense of humor that would either have her sides hurting from laughing so hard or volleying insults back and forth. Both of them were competitive, and more often than not insults would fly between the two of them as they tried to fluster the other into making a mistake. They couldn't ever stop playing ping pong because as soon as one would win, whoever lost would demand a rematch because losing was simply unacceptable to them. After a while, they started throwing out wagers that whoever lost had to drink so many shots of whatever alcohol the winner chose. It was agreed that neither would make the loser drink something they couldn't stand or would make them gag. Mikaela couldn't drink cherry vodka or tequila without throwing up and Tate couldn't stand the taste of Jagermeister and vodka glued him to a toilet for a good 24 hours puking his guts up. She was careful not to mention she really didn't like whiskey because she knew he would make her shoot it every time she lost just to make losing that much worse. It didn't make her automatically gag and it wasn't one she was absolutely adamant about not drinking, she just didn't like the taste of it and knew that if he used it against her she would end up throwing up all night.

Every now and then, she would catch Justin looking at her with that same strange look in his eyes, but she'd finally decided he must be either drunk or high off of something and tried not to let it get to her. It was creepy the way he always seemed to be staring at her, but she made sure her body language made it obvious that she was in no way interested in him. Everybody that knew her and Sam knew by now that they'd broken up, and she knew Justin would try to hook up with her. He was just that type of guy, and it probably didn't help that she'd turned him down flat at the restaurant because of Sam. She'd made herself a challenge to him that night, and guys like him never turned down a challenge. Justin was no different than the boys she'd dated in high school who only wanted to date her because of the challenge to take her virginity when no other boy could. She knew well the game he was playing, and it was one he wouldn't win.

By the time midnight came around, Mikaela had to pee because she'd been drinking since she got there. The two bathrooms downstairs were already occupied so she had to go to the second floor to find an empty one. She stopped to fix her hair before opening the bathroom door and walking into someone as soon as she turned the corner into the hall. Looking up, Mikaela realized it was Justin she had run into and quickly apologized before heading back down the hall. She had barely taken two steps before he grabbed her arm and spun her back around. He licked his lips and smirked and grabbed hold of her other arm. She tried to pull away, but his grip was too tight. Justin leered at her before shoving her against the wall and pushing his body up against hers.

"Justin let me go!" Mikaela said angrily.

"Quit pretending you don't want this," He hissed and leaned down to kiss her neck. She was still fighting to get away from him so he yanked both arms behind her back and held them there with one hand. His body pushed harder against hers to make sure she couldn't move.

"You're hurting me. Justin, stop it!" She wasn't going to cry in front of him no matter how much his grip hurt or how much he was scaring her.

"You're such a fuckin' tease, Mikaela. If you didn't parade around like a slut and flirt with every guy, this wouldn't happen," Justin's free hand slid up under her shirt and she started squirming to keep him from touching her.

"There's a fuck load of people here and if I scream, somebody's going to hear me. What are you going to do when someone sees you assaulting me?" Mikaela looked at him with hatred. "Perfect, little Justin trying to rape some girl in the hall at a party because she sees through your pathetic bullshit of a game."

She tasted blood when he backhanded her across the cheek. He forced his lips onto hers and she bit his lip, but it only made him slam her head against the wall and she saw stars from the impact.

"Trust me; you're not going to want to scream. You make a noise, and this is going to be ten times worse," Justin grabbed her breast and Mikaela couldn't help the painful groan that came out. She was praying that someone would come upstairs and stop him, but knew it was unlikely because Ethan's one rule was no sex in the bedrooms and there was no other reason to be on the second floor. They weren't even supposed to use the bathroom, but she had really, really had to go.

"Please, Justin, stop. Don't do this!" Mikaela was begging now and she hated the pathetic sound of her voice, but, really, it was the least of her worries. All she cared about was getting him off of her somehow, some way, and running as far away as she could. It was obvious he'd planned his revenge for her rejection, and she'd unknowingly played right into his hands by going upstairs alone. If she had had any inclination he was capable of such an evil, vile act, she never would have gone anywhere by herself. The worst part was the clarity in his eyes. Justin was doing this stone cold sober.

"Shut the fuck up," He snarled.

The realization of what was happening to her hit her when she felt his hand rip open her pants. His lips were on hers again so she couldn't make a noise and he slipped his hand between her legs. Tears streamed down Mikaela's face as she couldn't control the fear that ravaged her body. When his fingers touched her, she began fighting him again but his strength completely overpowered her own.


	18. Chapter 18

**Well, I promised an update when I hit 90 and I'm at 92 right now so here is the chapter you all have been waiting for!! For all the people that left their first reviews on the last chapter, I'm glad y'all are enjoying this! And of course, a huge thanks to all my repeated reviewers--you guys are amazing and I'm glad you are sticking with me through every new chapter.**

**I want to hit 100 reviews on this chapter, and I know I can count on all of you to help me get there!**

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In a last ditch effort to try to get Justin to stop his assault, Mikaela tried to bait him. If it was just a physical assault, she could have handled it. A jealous asshole who couldn't handle rejection hardly compared to the slap from her own father on Thanksgiving, even if the physical abuse was worse this time around. The mental aspect of her father hitting her was far worse than Justin's slap or slamming her up against the wall. However, Justin wasn't content on slapping her around. He wanted to sexually assault her, and the knowledge terrified Mikaela to the point of not being able to fight him as hard as she wanted to. What happened to adrenaline rushes in extreme situations? She felt like she was weighted down with sand bags.

"Sam will kill you when he finds out about this," She said hoping he didn't know they'd broken up.

"Witwicky dumped you because you're a little whore. Why the fuck would he come after me? I know all about you fucking your ex when he was out of town at a wedding. He's not going to protect you this time, sweetheart," Mikaela tried to knee him in the groin, but he was expecting it and sidestepped it. Justin forced her legs apart and stood between them so she couldn't try again.

"Damn it, Justin, you don't have to do this! You're hurting me!"

"Honey, this is all your fault. What is it that that loser Witwicky has that I don't?" Justin gave her an evil smile and trailed his knuckles down the side of her face. "Nobody rejects Justin Daniels, and you're stupid to think you could. I'm gonna make you pay for humiliating me."

"I love Sam. Sam is more of a man than you will ever be," Mikaela spat. "You're not even a real man. You're just a fucking sick, selfish asshole that can't handle it when you can't have what you want!"

Justin slammed her up against the wall again and she gave up fighting knowing it would all be over quicker if she just made it easy for him. He let go of her hands when he felt the fight leave her and she closed her eyes to try to block it all out when he pushed her pants down. Part of her felt like she deserved this punishment for what she'd done to Sam, but the logical part of her brain knew Justin was just a sick bastard. Her shirt ripped and Mikaela had to keep from recoiling away from him when his lips touched her breasts. The sound of Justin undoing his zipper sounded as if it was amplified and it was all she could hear. The music blaring downstairs faded away, and she accepted that this was going to happen and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Mikaela was bracing herself for what came next, but it never happened. One second Justin was crushing her with his weight so that it was hard to breathe, and the next the weight was lifted. She opened her eyes to see Sam standing before her with a horrified look on his face before the fury took over and he pounced on Justin. She watched him pummel Justin before closing her eyes and trying to get her racing heart under control. Her arms hugged her waist as all of her emotions collided together and she started shaking uncontrollably.

A hand reached out to touch her, and she nearly tripped as she jumped to get away from the contact. Opening her eyes, Mikaela realized it was Sam who had reached for her and she saw the concern for her written all over his face. When he reached for her again, she didn't think twice about falling into his arms and he gently rocked her. Subconsciously she knew Justin still lay beaten and bloody on the floor next to them, but she couldn't look at him. Sam stepped back to look at her and his eyes were glassy with unshed tears. He yanked off his sweatshirt and pulled it over her head to cover her shredded shirt. His movements were slow, so cautious was he not to hurt her.

"God, 'Kaela, are you okay?" She'd never heard so much emotion in his voice before.

"Can you…will you just take me home?" Mikaela whispered. Sam wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her downstairs. She kept her head down as they fought their way through all the people on the main floor because she knew there were still handprints on her cheek. They had made it to the front door when she heard Christian call her name, but they didn't stop until they were outside. Christian followed them outside and gasped when Mikaela finally lifted her head.

"Oh my God, Mik, what happened?" Christian hugged her tightly.

"Justin…he tried to…and he almost did…I couldn't stop him…then Sam found me…Chris, I was so scared," Mikaela was still so shaken she couldn't form a complete sentence and started sobbing into her best friend's shoulder.

"Fuck, baby, I'm so sorry," Christian whispered and held her tighter. "Do you want me to take you home?"

"No, Sam's going to take me. You stay here with Leo. Try to have fun for me, will you?"

"The only fun I'm going to have is finding that twisted son of a bitch and cutting him apart limb from limb," Christian said bitterly.

"I already took care of it," Sam said darkly.

"You go home and let Sam take care of you. Don't try to be strong and push us away. We're here for you darlin', no matter what," Christian kissed Mikaela on the forehead. "I'll come find you as soon as we get home. We probably won't be out that late."

Christian hugged Mikaela one more time before letting her go back to Sam and watched him walk her to the car. Sam helped her into the Camaro before jumping in the driver's seat and getting her as far away from that house as he could. He knew it technically wasn't his fault, but he felt guilty for what happened to her. He had seen Justin follow her up the stairs, but never dreamed that he was capable of such cruelty. If only he had gone upstairs quicker, Mikaela may never have experienced that.

Sam pulled up in front of the house twenty-five minutes later, and carried Mikaela down to his room. He grabbed a pair of sweats and an old t-shirt from his closet after sitting her down on his bed. She sat still as he changed her shirt and stood up to pull the sweats up around her waist. His arms wrapped around her waist and Mikaela fisted his shirt in her hands, wanting to be as close to him as she could because it was the only place she felt safe.

"Sam, thank you for stopping him. I really thought nobody was going to find us and he was going to…I know we're over and it's all my fault and you didn't have to stop him but you did," Mikaela was rambling.

"There was no way I could just stand back and let him hurt you any more than he already did. You know I would do anything for you," Sam looked at her intently.

"After everything I've done to you, and you still drop everything to help me."

"Of course I would, Mikaela. Even if this had happened two weeks ago, I'd have done the same thing. "

"I don't deserve that. I'm not worth it."

"Honey, you're worth more than the moon and the stars put together," Sam quietly rubbed her back and forced himself to concentrate on her at that moment and not on what caused her to come to this. She needed him now more than ever before, and if he allowed himself to think about that bastard he didn't know if he could control his anger enough not to go back to the party and obliterate his ass.

"Sam," Mikaela whispered brokenly. "Justin almost raped me."

"I know, baby, but you're safe now," He held her tighter. "Do you need anything? Do you wanna take a shower?"

"I just wanna be with you," She answered honestly. Sam picked her up and laid her in the bed before getting in himself after turning off the bedroom light. Thinking quickly, he turned the lamp on his desk on just in case she woke up in the middle of the night. Her arms were instantly around his neck and he pulled her to him.

"I'm here, 'Kaela," Sam whispered.

"I still love you, Sam," Mikaela said into his chest. "So damn much it hurts."

"I love you too, baby. I'll never stop."

Sam lay awake long after Mikaela fell into an uneasy slumber. Hours later, he could still feel the absolute fear and anger that had surged through his blood when he'd found Justin about to rape Mikaela. The sounds of her sobbing had made him snap and he could've killed the bastard if he hadn't been so worried about her. It didn't matter that they weren't together and not currently even talking, his feelings hadn't changed a bit. There was no way in hell he would've abandoned her after seeing what Justin was doing to her. Taking her home and staying with her may not have been the smartest thing he'd ever done; he probably should've let Christian take her. All he'd been thinking about at the time was that she needed to get as far away from that house as possible and she needed someone to be there for her.

It took him a minute to realize what was going on when Mikaela started shaking and mumbling in her sleep. She was talking in her sleep, begging Justin to stop and that he was hurting her. When she felt Sam's arms were still around her, her fists pounded against his chest trying to get away because she thought he was Justin. Sam pulled his arms tighter around her and started whispering in her ear. He didn't think about what he was saying, it was just to try to comfort her and let her know she was safe.

Mikaela finally woke up and opened her eyes, but he couldn't help the hurt feeling when she pushed him away with a wild look in her eye. She scrambled off the bed and hugged her arms around her waist. Tears welled in his eyes as he thought of what she must be going through.

"Mikaela, it's Sam. You're okay. He can't hurt you anymore," Sam said thickly. He kept his eyes locked on hers as he moved slowly to get up but stopped when she moved back away from him. "Baby, don't be scared. It's just me. You know me; you know I'm not going to hurt you."

"Sam?" Mikaela asked fearfully. He watched as her eyes cleared and knew she was finally aware of their surroundings.

"It's me, baby," Sam replied.

He got up from the bed and walked over to where she was standing. Mikaela lifted her hand up and touched his face. Her tears had slowed but he could see a few stray ones leaving tracks on her cheeks. Sam stood unmoving while she searched his eyes for reassurance that everything was going to be okay. Seconds later, she was in his arms; her arms wrapped around his neck with a strength she'd never shown before. It was all he could do not to hold her any tighter, but he didn't want to hurt her physically or emotionally. This woman had been the biggest part of his world for the better part of the last two and a half years and the last couple months had been rough for both of them. First it had been her dad at Thanksgiving, finding out she cheated on him with Trent, and now this. Sam hoped this would be the last incident for a while. He didn't know if he could deal with anything worse, much less if Mikaela could handle it.

Mikaela felt Sam's uncertainty and could tell he was afraid to move because he didn't want to hurt her. His hands were rubbing her back, but that was the extent of his movement. It didn't matter to her if he was moving or not, he was there holding her in his arms trying to make sure she was okay. She kissed his cheek as a show of gratitude.

"Come on, let's go get you some fresh air," They went outside and sat side by side on the back porch. Sam slung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his chest.

"He knew about me cheating on you with Trent," Mikaela said after awhile.

"How did he know about that? You, me, Christian, and Leo were the only ones who knew."

"I don't know, but he did. It was horrible, Sam. I tried to fight him off but he's so much bigger and stronger."

"Shh, baby, you don't have to talk about it."

"No, I need to," Sam squeezed her shoulder when she took a deep breath. "I was just trying to go to the bathroom, but all the ones downstairs were taken so I went to use one upstairs. He was in the hall when I came out. I didn't even know it was him when I ran into him until I looked up. He grabbed me and pushed me up against the wall. I told him to let me go, that he was hurting me but he just told me to stop pretending I didn't want it. At one point he hit me, and slammed my head against the wall when I bit him."

Sam's blood was boiling as she painfully recounted the tale. There was nothing he wanted more than to go back and absolutely destroy Justin, but he didn't move. Mikaela was dead set on talking about it, and he didn't want to interrupt her or make it harder.

"I threatened to scream but he said if I made a noise it would be worse, and really who could've heard me with the music so loud downstairs? I tried to tell him you were going to kill him, and that's when he said he knew what I'd done and there was no way you would protect me now. When he said that, it made me feel like I deserved what he was doing. Why would you help me after what I did? He wanted to know what you had that he didn't. He slammed me up against the wall again when I told him I loved you and you were more of a man than he ever could be."

The truth of her words was evident in her voice and in her eyes, and Sam finally understood for certain what Mikaela's night with Trent was: a mistake. Knowledge of her infidelity still cut him deep, but one night couldn't erase the two plus years they had spent together. That's what she'd tried to tell him every time they fought, but it wasn't until now that he understood it.

"That really, really pissed him off. He…he pushed my pants down and then he undid his zipper. The sound was so loud it was like I could feel it in my body. It was all so real and terrifying and I couldn't get him off of me. He was so big and strong and scary; all I could do was accept that it was happening and that if I quit fighting it would all be over faster. Then all of a sudden, he was gone and you were beating the shit out of him when I opened my eyes."

"I should've followed him up there right away when I saw him go up after you, but I just…I couldn't. I was frozen," Sam didn't want to admit the real reason why he'd hesitated.

"You thought I wanted him to follow me," Mikaela softly said and he hated that she knew him so well.

"I'm sorry," He said guiltily. "I should've known better after the way you turned him down at the restaurant. You made it totally clear that we were together and you weren't interested. The one time you needed me, and I completely let you down."

"Sam, no you saved me. If it hadn't been for you, he wouldn't have stopped. What he did to me will heal. They're all just bruises. You stopped him before he could…" She trailed off unable to complete the sentence.

"You make it sound like what he did is okay," Sam said confused.

"No, that's not what I mean. I'm not okay. It's just…I don't want to think about it anymore. All I want to do is be with you and not worry about anything else."

"I'm not going anywhere," He whispered next to her ear and they sat in silence on the back porch until long after the sun came up.


	19. Chapter 19

**Now that we've gotten through most of the drama, we can get back to the happy couple Sam & Mikaela :-) This chapter is a little bit shorter and probably a little more boring, but I hope you all enjoy it! **

**Thanks to EVERYONE that has reviewed and helped me get over the 100 review mark. You guys are the best hands down!**

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Mikaela had tried to sleep in her room the first night after the incident, but the nightmare was so bad Leo and Christian had been jarred awake by her crying and screaming and had had to wake up Sam because they couldn't calm her down. After that, she had gone back to sleeping with Sam but the nightmares still came and neither was getting much sleep.

Sam was worried about her because the lack of sleep had her on the brink of falling apart. Finals and studying had left them all exhausted because they'd stayed up later to cram, and the nightmares were only making it worse for her. He was exhausted too, but he wasn't the one reliving the memory every single night. The hardest part for him was the short time between her body waking up and her mind waking up. Mikaela still recoiled in fear when he reached for her until her mind cleared and she realized it was Sam touching her and not Justin. As the next couple of days went by, the nightmares became less intense and the time it took for her to recognize him shortened. For that he was grateful, but he knew it would take her a while before she was okay.

Mikaela was currently sitting at his desk watching him pack his bags. Once again, his mom had surprised them both with plane tickets back to California for the month long Christmas break. Their flight left that afternoon, and Sam was confused as to why she hadn't packed her bags yet.

"I planned on staying here," Mikaela told him when he asked.

"Why would you be staying here?"

"Well, the whole Trent thing."

"We've talked about that. It's in the past," Sam had told her that he wasn't going to let a mistake from a year and a half ago ruin their relationship. He was still upset, but more from the fact that he had found out from someone else than her actually cheating on him.

"I know, but…you haven't said anything about me going so I assumed you didn't want me to. I was still going to stay here because I'm not going home to my dad."

"Why wouldn't I want you to go?"

"I don't know," Sam set down the clothes he was holding and walked over to her. He pulled her up from the chair and tenderly kissed her.

"Baby, of course I want you to go. A freakin' month without you? I wouldn't even last a day," He laughed at his admission. "Go pack your damn bags, 'Kaela."

"Yes sir," Mikaela smiled at him mockingly but kissed him again before running up the stairs to her room.

A contented grin cross Sam's face as he finished packing up his bags. Though he hated the incident that had brought them back together, he was happy to be able to hold her and kiss her again. Even though it sounded cheesy, that woman was his entire world and when she wasn't in it he felt incomplete. Of course, the only person he'd ever admit that to was her because he was a man and had his pride. Shaking his head to rid himself of all the lovey-dovey feelings, Sam double checked his bags to make sure he had everything he needed for the couple of weeks they would be in California. He checked over his shoulder to make sure Mikaela hadn't come back down to the basement. Once he was certain the coast was clear, he dug through the bottom of his sock drawer until he found the gift he had bought for her. It was something he had been planning for months, and was overjoyed that he would actually be able to give it to her as a Christmas gift. Sam had been saving as much money as he could to buy her something good for Christmas, and he hoped she liked what he picked out. The hard part would be keeping it away from her until then since she would probably be staying in his room when they got back to California.

Mikaela was sitting on the edge of her bed staring at the wall when he made his way into her room. He took her hands in his and knelt down in front of her. For the longest time she wouldn't make eye contact with him, but there were tears in her eyes when she did. She slid off the edge of the bed so she was kneeling in front of him. Sam encircled his arms around her waist and laid his forehead against hers. A long moment went by before she made any movement, but she finally hugged his neck. Somehow knowing she just needed the contact, he remained silent as his eyes stared into her watery ones.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I don't know why I'm crying," Mikaela whispered after a while.

"Baby, don't apologize for crying. What's wrong?" He pulled them both to their feet without breaking the embrace and rubbed her back.

"It's just...the last month has been crazy emotional. Thanksgiving was amazing and hard all at the same time, then you found out about Trent, and then the thing with Justin. I know I should just let it all go, but I can't. The nightmares are mostly gone, but I still think about the party all the time."

"You've been through a lot in a short amount of time. Justin never would have hurt you if I hadn't been an ass about Trent. We should have talked about it right away, but I let my pride get the best of me. If it wasn't for me, Justin wouldn't have touched you."

"Sammy, no, that's not true. It didn't matter if we were together that night he still would have done it. The only thing that would have been different is that you wouldn't have had to question whether I invited him to follow me up the stairs. It was my fault you had to doubt that."

"Exactly, 'Kaela. If we had been together I would have followed him immediately. He never would have laid a hand on you."

"If it hadn't been for you, he would have raped me. You can't blame yourself for what happened. Justin's the one with the problem," Mikaela held his face so he couldn't look away. "It's not your fault. It's not my fault. Would it have been different if I had been honest about Trent in the beginning? Yes. But every time I've needed you, Sam, you've never once let me down."

"I love you, of course I'm going to be there for you," He would've been embarrassed at the stray tears that fell from his eyes if it was anyone else wiping them away but her. "Don't beat yourself up over that one night with Trent. You were both drunk. I can't tell you it doesn't hurt to know it happened, but it was a long time ago. I can't change it. It didn't mean anything, I know. Every day since then I'm the one you come running to. I'm the one you kiss. I'm the one whose arms you sleep in. That's all I need to know that you love me."

"And I do love you Sam, more than I could ever tell you," She smiled tearfully. "I just don't feel like I deserve you. What woman cheats on the man she loves and doesn't tell him. What woman lets him find out from her best friend during a drinking game?"

"Baby, you deserve so much better than me."

"I don't want anybody but you."

"Well that's a damn good thing," Sam laughed softly and was happy to see a small smile on her face at his comment.

"Oh yeah?" Mikaela stepped back so she could see him better and put her hands on his shoulders so her forearms rested against his chest.

"So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, every day. You and me...every day," He recited the line from her favorite movie.

"That's almost creepy that you can say that word for word and we haven't watched that in a while," She sobered quickly. "I love you Samuel James."

"I love you too baby," He gave her a quick kiss before moving his hands up and tickling her sides. "Now hurry up slowpoke! We've got a plane to catch."

Mikaela rolled her eyes and pushed him away. This time she started pulling clothes from her closet and handing them to Sam to fold and put into the bag. They worked together in silence until she got to her underwear drawer. It was all fine at first, but then it became obvious that he was only putting her bras into the suitcase. She noticed it when she turned around to ask him a question and saw that every thong she had handed him was currently on his head. The innocent grin on his face was too much and her back fell against the wall to support her as her body shook with giggles. Rather than take her underwear off his head, she went back to her underwear drawer and pulled out a pair of his boxers she had stolen from him and put them on her head.

Sam started laughing almost as hard as she was as he walked towards her. Mikaela's hand reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He moved behind her so their faces were cheek to cheek and she snapped a picture of the both of them standing there with each other's underwear on their heads. Several pictures were taken before she was satisfied with a good one because neither of them could stop laughing long enough to smile. The thongs were taken off his head and finally went into the suitcase. Socks followed the underwear and then she rounded up all of her bathroom stuff. She double checked everything to make sure nothing important was forgotten. Sam was still laughing at her when she got the suitcase zipped.

"What the hell are you laughing at?" Mikaela pouted. He stepped closer to her and snatched the boxers off of her head.

"Man, I've been looking for these for forever! They're my lucky boxers!" Sam said excitedly as he held the tattered underwear up.

"Holy hell I fell for the biggest dork on the planet," She teased.

"I'm not kidding!" He pouted. "I was wearing these the first time we kissed, the day we started dating, the first time we had sex. I wore these the first time you said you loved me."

"Sam, baby, you're so girly sometimes, but God how I love you," Mikaela placed a kiss to his lips.

"I'm gonna wear them the day you become my wife," Sam whispered against the lips that still touched his.

"Just don't wear them the day you propose, okay? It won't be as much of a surprise," A smirk crossed her face. "Besides, you don't need luck. We both know what my answer is."

"And what answer is that?"

"Abso-fucking-lutely," Mikaela said softly as their eyes met. The ecstatic look on his face was adorable as he picked her up by the waist and twirled them around in circles.

They rounded up all of their bags and through them in the trunk and backseat of his car. Just like at Thanksgiving, Bee was meeting them in California so they had a single carryon bag that would tide them over until he got there. The Autobot projected his hologram so strangers wouldn't realize the car was actually driving itself and drove the couple to the airport where he dropped them off before heading out on his cross-country drive to meet his charges on the West Coast.


	20. Chapter 20

**Alright, I know the last chapter was a little bit boring. Kind of a let down since it's been pretty dramatic lately. I'm feeling a little bit nice, so I'm going to go ahead and post the new chapter. A couple things will be revealed in this chapter so I hope you all enjoy it...**

**Thanks to ALL my faithful reviewers. I freakin' love you guys!**

**Please review!**

* * *

Shockingly enough, Sam and Mikaela arrived in California on time. It seemed like any time either of them flew anywhere anymore, the flights were almost always delayed. After they landed, Mikaela jokingly asked her boyfriend if he had put his so called lucky boxers on; a question to which he swatted at her in jest. In retaliation, she crossed her arms and stalked off the plane pretending to be mad. Sam, gullible man that he was, thought she was actually upset at him and had followed her apologizing profusely. She kept up the act until just before they arrived at the baggage claim and turned to look at him so he could see the amused smile on her face. Their arms linked at the elbows, they walked into the baggage claim area and quickly found his parents.

Mikaela wanted to laugh hysterically at the way Judy almost knocked her son down in her haste to hug him. Ron embraced his son in a tight hug as well before both parents took their turns saying hello to Mikaela in just as warm a fashion. The family spent a few moments catching up while she stood slightly behind Sam to give them their space. The sounds of "Hey Good Lookin'" flowed up from the purse on her shoulder so she moved away to answer the phone. With that ringtone, there was only one possible person it could be.

"Hey Will!" She greeted happily. Will Lennox was the older brother she never had but unfortunately they hadn't seen each other in a couple of months since he was on base in New Jersey and she had been at school.

"How are you doing Sugar Bear?" Mikaela had grown to love that infernal nickname he insisted on calling her, and Will was the only one that used it.

"Sam and I just landed in Cali. How's the family?"

"Sarah misses you. Annabelle is getting bigger every day."

"Tell Sarah I miss her too, and give the little one a kiss for me."

"You know I will, Sugar Bear. Sam still treating you right?"

"I keep him in line," Will laughed at her answer. "Everything okay in Jersey?"

"Can't I just call to hear your beautiful voice?" He teased.

"I'm gonna call bullshit on that one. It's a good thing I know you're happily married because that would be creepy if you weren't. You're old Lennox!"

"Ouch, that hurts," Will complained. "You wound me so with your words, Mikaela."

"You're a freak. What do you want?"

"Holy cow, you've gotten rude since the last time we talked!"

"Shut up, Will. You know I love talking to you."

"I do know that, Sugar Bear. Anyway, I did have a reason for calling."

"That's what I thought," Mikaela could just imagine the older man rolling his eyes at her haughty tone.

"We're going to have a big New Year's bash on the base this year. Everybody is supposed to be here."

"Obviously everybody will be there, you guys live on base dumbass," She retorted sarcastically.

"Hush, woman. Maggie and Glen will be here. Secretary Keller, as well."

" I'm sure we'll be able to make it. Let me check with Sam, but I can be pretty persuasive when I need to be," She trailed off suggestively.

"God, Mikaela, I don't need to know that!" Will said disgustedly. "That's just plain wrong. You're like my little sister!"

"You're the one with the twisted mind!" Mikaela laughed and saw Sam and his parents waiting patiently for her. "I hate to cut this short, but they're all ready to leave the airport and I'm sure Sam is starving. A tiny bag of peanuts for like a six, seven hour flight? The dork probably thinks he's about to die of starvation or something."

"Yeah, you better go take care of the big baby. He's worse than Annabelle I swear," Will agreed.

"I'll call you in the next couple of days, but go ahead and count on us being there alright? Unless something big comes up, we wouldn't miss the party for the world."

"Sure thing. Tell Sam and his parents hello for me, would you?"

"As long as you tell everyone we said hi and we'll see them soon."

"Alright, Sugar Bear, you take care."

"Of course. Talk to you soon," Mikaela disconnected the call and shoved the phone back in her purse as she made her way back to her boyfriend and his parents.

"You know, if I didn't know the only reason you have that ringtone for him is because you both got drunk and sang that song karaoke, I might be a little jealous," Sam teased her when she resumed standing at his side.

Sam threw their bag over his shoulder and the four discussed dinner plans while they walked out to his father's new Range Rover. Ron and Judy had planned on going out to eat, but Sam and Mikaela both agreed they would rather just pick up pizza and chill out at the house. Traffic was horrible so they were all glad to be going home and not out to a restaurant. At the snail's pace the cars around them were moving, it would be an hour or more before they really got anywhere and that's not counting the time it would take them to get off the highway and to the restaurant. The traffic was definitely a downside to living in Los Angeles.

It was just past 7:30 when they pulled into the driveway at Sam's parent's house. Mikaela had fallen asleep on Sam's shoulder sometime while they were still stuck in traffic on the freeway and didn't even so much as bat an eye when the car stopped. Normally she was a light sleeper, and Sam couldn't help but chuckle softly at the fact that she was completely passed out. He carried her into the house and set her gently in the new oversized chair his parents had bought since Thanksgiving. In the kitchen, he put a couple slices of pizza on a plate for both of them. If the smell of the pizza didn't wake her up, it wasn't like it would go to waste. Sam was an admitted pig, and would readily scarf down her slices as well as his.

As expected, the mouth watering smell of the gourmet pizza did in fact wake Mikaela from her slumber. She teased Sam all the time about how much he ate but when it came down to it she could easily put away just as much food as he could, if not more. Personally, he loved that she was comfortable enough with herself to pig out. It's not like she had a weight problem anyway, the woman was flat out gorgeous. She had gained a few pounds here and there in the time they had dated, but a week later it would all be lost again. Her diet never changed, it was just something that happened from time to time. He would always compliment her more on the way she looked when she gained the weight because he knew she hated that it all came out of nowhere.

Of course, Judy wanted to know all about what her little boy had been up to in the month since she had seen him last. Sam gave her an edited version, leaving out the Trent incident and what Justin had done at the party a few weeks before. Neither was something he particularly wanted his parents to know, nor was it really any of their business anyway. The gratitude at keeping mum on those two taboo subjects rolled off Mikaela in waves. He squeezed her leg in response, and she curled her body tighter into his side.

"How about you, Mikaela? Still working at that repair shop?" Judy turned her attention to her son's girlfriend.

"Oh, no I quit working there about a month or so ago. I've been working with Christian, my roommate, at a bookstore ever since."

"What? Why? You love working on cars!" Judy asked in shock.

"I loved my job, I was just tired of all the pick-up lines and sexual innuendos from customers. At first I could blow it off because it didn't happen, but then it got to where it was all the time. Besides, I knew it bothered Sam so it just wasn't worth dealing with anymore."

"That's horrible darling. Men are such pigs!" The elder woman said disgustedly.

"Hey!" Sam and Ron protested.

"Hush, Ron, you know you would flirt with a gorgeous female mechanic. You wouldn't mean anything by it, but it would probably bother her if she heard it all the time," Judy scolded her husband.

"And you, Sam, don't even try to deny it," Mikaela elbowed him in the ribs. "I seem to remember a certain old Camaro breaking down on an old dirt road and a certain boy saying he preferred females to work on his car."

"If she's wearing a short skirt and a tiny tank top, she can work on my car anytime," Sam said wistfully and received another jab to his already sore ribs.

"Unfortunately for you, your car is a robot and never breaks down," She retorted.

"Number one, Bee wouldn't let anybody but you fix anything," He gave her an innocently sweet smile. "And number two, you are the only woman I would let work on my car."

"Alright you two, the sexual double meanings is completely inappropriate when there are parents in the room," Judy teased the young couple and laughed at their identical blushes.

"Mo-om!" Sam whined.

"Don't forget how your bed squeaks every time you move," Ron quipped much to his son's dismay.

"Da-ad!" He said in the same whiny voice.

"Sam, I love you, but I'm sleeping on the couch tonight," Mikaela mumbled embarrassedly.

"I really don't know why you guys are so embarrassed. Sex is a natural part of life. Everybody does it," Judy was enjoying torturing her son with all the talk about sex.

"Mom, I know that, but it's just creepy to talk about my sex life with you guys."

"Sam, you're just egging them on," Mikaela said, her voice muffled against the shoulder she was currently hiding her face in. "If you don't shut up, you're not going to _have_ a sex life anymore."

"Oh, that's just harsh 'Kaela," He responded but did as she said and shut up.

The blushes that still dominated their faces had Judy and Ron laughing for several minutes after they had stopped talking. Ron tuned the TV to ESPN and the two men were soon concentrating on getting their daily sports fix. Judy gathered up all of their plates and napkins before going into the kitchen to clean up their mess and put the leftover pizza into the refrigerator.

Mikaela stretched her legs out onto the ottoman and laid her head against the back of the chair. The rise and fall of her chest slowed as her body relaxed into the soft fabric that covered the oversized chair. It was highly likely that she would be asleep relatively quickly because the long flight had worn her out and her belly was stuffed with the pizza from earlier.

Sam saw her get comfortable out of the corner of his eye and knew she would soon be passed out despite the early hour. He took his eyes off the sports channel long enough to gather her up in his arms and pull her onto his lap. Her legs bent at the knees so her feet rested on the seat her body had just vacated rather than hang them over the arm of the chair. An arm slithered around her waist protectively. His other hand tenderly rubbed her back. Mikaela lifted her head to capture his lips with hers.

"Good night beautiful," Sam softly said while she snuggled herself deeper into his torso. He turned his attention back to the TV and saw that his dad had changed it to the ESPN Classic channel. It was an old college football game; who the teams were he couldn't really even tell. That didn't much matter though, football was football. Old games were sometimes more fun to watch because the hits had a tendency to be more vicious than in live or recent games. There were more rules these days that aimed towards protecting the players, and it really took away some of the excitement of the game.

The score was finally showed and he finally figured out it was an old Army versus Navy game. Ron went to bed at halftime, but Sam stayed up to watch the second half. Whether or not he would actually be able to stay awake for the rest of the game he didn't know, but he was going to try at least. It was obviously a good game if they were replaying it on the Classic channel. There was nothing better than an intense back and forth football game even if he wasn't a big fan of either team and didn't care who won.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Sam felt Mikaela tense up in his arms. The nightmares were back, he knew. She hadn't had one in the last two days, and he'd hoped that was the last of them. Instinctively his arm tightened around her waist but not so much that it would scare her. Her hands found his arm and she squeezed her fingers around it, but didn't push him away. By the tight grip she had on his arm, Sam knew this had the potential to be really bad. If she woke up, she would likely freak out because she wouldn't remember right away that they were at his parents. All Mikaela would know was that they weren't in his room at the house in Philadelphia and he didn't want her to wake up frightened. He resumed rubbing her back and rested his cheek against the top of her head. Reassuring words began to fall from his lips in a comforting tone as he tried to calm her down.

After what seemed like forever but was really only a few minutes, Mikaela subconsciously began to recognize his voice and the muscles in her body slowly started to relax. The grip on his arm was the last to loosen and he felt her start to stir. Sam had hoped the nightmare wouldn't cause her to wake up. Unfortunately, his wish was not to be granted. In the dim light from the TV, he could see the single tear that had fallen when she lifted her head. The arm that had been wrapped around her waist moved as he placed his hand on the side of her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb. Pushing the ottoman out of the way, he moved her arms so they were curled around his neck and carefully picked her up. Rather than trudge up the stairs to his bedroom, he instead laid her down on the couch and then laid himself down next to her on the edge. Without a word between them, he wrapped his arm around her waist and held her until she fell back to sleep.

*************

A couple days before Christmas, Judy handed Sam the keys to her Expedition and sent him and Mikaela to the grocery store to buy food for their Christmas dinner. They had spent the first week of their break being lazy and doing absolutely nothing. For the most part, all they did was hang out at the house watching movies in their pajamas all day long. Sam had gone to see his friend Miles a few times, and Mikaela had seen a few of her girlfriends from high school once or twice but never for very long because she didn't particularly want to run into any of the guys she had known. Truthfully she didn't care much to see any of the people she had run around with because they no longer had anything in common.

Sam was searching for his girlfriend in the store. He had left her with the basket to run and grab a few things they had forgotten while she continued on in the opposite direction to finish getting everything off of the list. They were being extra careful to make sure no item on the list was missed because neither wanted to have to come back to the store tomorrow or the next day. It was busy enough that day and would only get worse.

Mikaela was standing in the canned foods aisle talking to another guy. It took Sam a few seconds before he realized it was Trent DeMarco. He was a little surprised to see them talking, but he could see her discomfort when Trent reached out to touch her and she backed away. Her back was to him but he could see the confident smirk on Trent's face. As he got closer to them, he could hear part of their conversation.

"Trent, I'm dating Sam," Sam couldn't see her face but he could tell by the tone of her voice she wanted to be anywhere but talking to her ex boyfriend.

"Witwicky doesn't have to know," Trent pushed. "Like it never happened before."

"And it was a complete mistake. It never should have happened. I was drunk!"

"Honey, you wanted it just as much as I did," The other man noticed Sam and an evil glint appeared in his eye. Before Sam or Mikaela knew what was going on, Trent grabbed hold of Mikaela and kissed her. It was all Sam could do not to jump him when his tongue pushed passed her lips. She tried to push him away, but the way he was holding her didn't give her any leverage. The smirk was still on his face when he let her go. "Oh, hey Witwicky. Didn't see you standing there."

Mikaela immediately spun around and worriedly looked at Sam and mistakenly took the angry look on his face to mean he thought she had initiated it. "Sam, I swear to God it's not what you think."

"No, it's exactly what I think," She tried to cut him off but he kept talking. "I think Trent is hell bent on making me pay for embarrassing him when his girlfriend broke up with him to date the school geek."

"How does it feel knowing I took your girl's virginity while she was dating you?" Old anger flared up in Trent's eyes, but outwardly he remained cool and cocky.

"How does it feel knowing she only fucked you when she was drunk off her ass but she willingly goes to bed with me every single night?" Sam taunted.

"And for the record, Trent, I fucked you for all of ten seconds," Mikaela gave Trent her own mocking smirk. "You couldn't keep it up."

Sam's head snapped to look at his girlfriend in shock. What the fuck? That was news to him. By the murderous look on Trent's face, it was obvious that her words were the truth. The two men stood rigidly staring the other down until Trent threw one last dirty look Mikaela's way and stalked off. She looked over at Sam with the same worried look and opened her mouth to defend herself but Sam spoke up first.

"Mikaela, I know you didn't do anything wrong. I heard what he said."

"I didn't want to talk to him, but he kept following me," Her eyes pleaded with him to believe her. "I thought maybe if I just said hi and whatever he would leave."

"'Kaela, I trust you," Sam smiled at his girlfriend. "But I do believe you have some explaining to do."

"I know, and I will but I don't want to have that conversation here. In the car?"

"Yeah, we're almost done anyway."

Sam tossed what he had in his hands into the cart and they continued their shopping trip. Mikaela was afraid their impending conversation would ruin their lighthearted moods, but Sam was still his goofy, funny self. He almost seemed to be in a better mood because he started grabbing stuff off of the shelves and throwing it into the basket. She couldn't help but laugh at his childishness even if it meant she had to keep stopping to put everything back onto the shelves. Because of his antics, the rest of their shopping trip took twice as long as it should have. Neither of them really minded; they were having fun acting like kids. Mikaela was silently wondering how Sam would react to what she had to tell him, but she was ready for the whole truth to be known.

They were getting the vegetables for the salad Judy was going to make that night when Sam saw Trent again. His blood ran cold when he saw who Trent was standing with, and tried to distract Mikaela from seeing them. For a moment, he thought he'd gotten away with it. That was until she'd turned to put something in the basket and caught them out of the corner of her eye. His heart dropped at the sight of her standing there frozen, her eyes locked on the two people she didn't want to see.

"What…what is he doing here?" Mikaela asked weakly. She finally looked over at Sam and he could feel her fear.

"I don't know," Sam looked back over at them and saw them walking their way.

"Well, well, well if it isn't the little tease," Mikaela started shaking at the sound of the voice that had haunted her dreams for the last couple weeks.

"What the fuck are you doing here Justin?" Sam spat.

"Oh, you didn't know?" Justin smirked. "Trent's my cousin."

"I see you guys have already met," Trent said, and from the sound of his voice Sam knew he knew exactly what had happened back in Philadelphia.

"Oh yeah, we've met," Sam said darkly. "The last time I saw him I left him bruised and bloody in a hallway."

"Still can't accept that your girl has to find some other guy to satisfy her, can you?" Justin taunted.

"You motherfucker, you tried to fucking _rape_ her!" Sam tried to lunge at Justin but Mikaela reached out and touched his arm.

"Don't let him get to you Sam," She said. "He's just trying to get a rise out of you."

"Yeah Witwicky, listen to your girlfriend," Justin mocked.

"You listen to me and you listen good, Justin," Sam stood inches from the other man's face. "Stay the fuck away from Mikaela. If I ever see you anywhere near her, I will fucking kill you!" Surprisingly, the two men walked away without another word. Sam stood silently glaring at their backs.

"Sam?" Mikaela grabbed his hand. "Hey, calm down."

"I could kill those two motherfuckers," He muttered angrily.

"Look at me," She said softly. Sam looked down at his girlfriend and she tenderly took his face in her hands and kissed him. Her arms wove around his neck when he responded to her lips. Before it got out of hand, she pulled away and rested her cheek against his. Normally she wouldn't have even kissed him like that in public because they both hated seeing other people mauling each other so they avoided doing it themselves, but this was a special circumstance.

"What was that for?" His breath tickled her cheek and she shivered.

"I didn't know how else to calm you down."

"Are you okay?"

"I think so. If not, I will be," He could still feel her hands shaking.

"Let's get out of here," They got the rest of what they needed and headed to the front.

It took forever for them to check out because the store decided to shut down half of their registers despite having three times the business because of the upcoming holiday. The cashiers were frustrated at the never ending lines, but the lady that rang up all their food was friendly enough. Mikaela knew she'd be biting off customers' heads if she was the cashier.

Judy had been smart to make them take the Expedition because the Camaro wouldn't have fit half the food they had bought. As it was, the back of the Expedition barely fit it all and that was with the third row folded down.

"You gonna tell me about what really happened with Trent?" Sam turned to look at his girlfriend. "Or do you need some time? Seeing Justin threw us both for a loop. We can wait if we need to."

"Trent and I didn't really have sex. I wish I could tell you I sobered up and realized what I was doing," There was a sad look in Mikaela's eyes when she touched his arm. "But the truth is, he couldn't keep it up after he was inside me. We had to wait for the pain to stop and he just lost it because he was so drunk. It wasn't but maybe five seconds after he rolled off of me that he passed out. As soon as I knew for sure he was out, I left and went home."

"How come you never told me you didn't actually sleep with him?" Sam wondered.

"To me it didn't matter that we didn't technically fuck. We would have if he could've kept it up. I had already cheated on you, so I didn't see the point."

"Honey, it does matter. Yeah, you still cheated on me. There is no denying that, but this whole time I've been thinking you and him were at it all night long," He smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, no definitely not. I don't know, it just almost seemed by telling you that he couldn't keep it up I was trying to justify my actions and I wasn't going to do that."

"Well, look at it this way. For all intents and purposes, you were still a virgin the first time we had sex. All Trent did was take care of the hard part."

"How do you do that?" Mikaela asked.

"Do what?"

"Blow it off like it's no big deal."

"It's not a big deal anymore. That night is in the past. I trust you, Mikaela," He gave her a wicked grin. "Besides, now I know for sure that I am the only man whose name you've screamed as you come."

"You are the only person who would see it like that," She rolled her eyes.

"All I'm worried about is right now. And right now, you're here with me. Not Trent."

They went back to his house and unloaded all the groceries and helped Judy put them up. Mikaela started towards the living room when they were done, but Sam reached out and stopped her. She looked at him confusedly when he told his mom they were going out and would be back later. He grabbed his keys off of the kitchen counter and led his girlfriend through the backyard to the garage where Bee was parked. Mikaela got into the passenger seat when he opened the door for her, but didn't tell her where they were going. Sam drove them out to the old dirt road they knew so well and parked the car under the tree.

"Sam, why are we here?"

"Dance with me," He jogged to the other side of the car and helped her out. Hand in hand they strode to the front of the car.

"Are you kidding me?" She laughed that melodic laugh he loved so much.

"Dance with me," He repeated and took both of her arms and slid them around his neck before his hands rested on her waist.

"There's no music," Mikaela pointed out. Bee, ever so helpful Autobot that he was, tried to supply them with music; however, considering that he was no human, his song choice was rather...unorthodox for a slow dance, to say the least.

_I got your legs spread all over the bed_

_Hands clenched in the sheets_

_Hair wild as hell I know_

_The only thing on your mind is sexin' me_

_Girl I can feel your temperature rising_

_You should feel my nature too_

_Come on it's gonna be a bumpy ride_

_Girl let's do what we came to do_

Well, at the very least it WAS a love song. Sort of. Just not the type of love song Sam was going for at that moment.

"_Bee!_" The young man exclaimed.

"Sorry, chief," Bumblebee said in that robotic voice of his. "Your pheromone levels--"

"Suggest I want to mate with Mikaela, I know. When do they not suggest I want to mate with Mikaela?" Sam growled in frustration. He caught sight of the amused look on his girlfriend's face and blushed. "I am going to _kill_ Ratchet next time I see him!"

"We're just trying to help," Bee said in what would have been a helpful voice had he been human instead of a robot.

"Trust me, I don't need any help when it comes to mating with Mikaela!" It didn't seem possible for Sam to blush any deeper, but somehow he managed it.

"Well, this isn't awkward at all is it?" Mikaela quipped. He motioned for her to hold on and walked over to the driver's side to stick his head inside and exchange a few words with their guardian.

"Sorry about that. Bee's still trying to figure out how we humans work," An apologetic smile lined his face. The opening chords of a familiar song sounded from the Camaro's speaker system and Sam pulled his girlfriend close as they began to sway.

_I just wanna love you more than anything else_

_More than life itself, more than ever, baby_

_I just wanna hold you, feel your breath on my skin_

_Again an' again an' again_

_Let's shut out the world, and dim all the lights_

_Baby, tonight, I just wanna love you_

The couple didn't even notice when the music stopped. Bee didn't dare play another song for fear of a repeat of the first song.

"What brought this on?" Mikaela asked inquisitively. Not that she minded, of course, but he had definitely surprised her.

"I'm just feeling a little territorial," Sam answered sheepishly.

"You know you don't have anything to worry about, right?" She couldn't blame him for the way he felt. It was she who had given him reason to worry, after all. "I don't want Trent."

"I already told you I trust you. I'm not worried about you wanting Trent. It's just the way he was looking at you...it made me want to send my own little personal "fuck you" to the world because the greatest woman in the world is mine."

"So you bring me out to an old dirt road where nobody can see us?"

"Could've taken you to a club or something, I guess, but this old dirt road means something to us."

"Who would've thought you could be so sentimental?" Mikaela teased.

"Aw, it's just 'cause I love you," He smiled that adorable crooked grin she loved so much and that was the last either of them spoke. They spent the rest of the evening on that familiar old road. Sometimes they danced to music Bee played for them (thankfully there were no more embarrassing mix ups on the songs), sometimes they played tag and chased each other all around, and sometimes they just sat on the hood of Sam's beloved Camaro and talked about nothing and everything. It was the perfect night: no drama, just the two of them alone and content to be that way.


	21. Chapter 21

**I'll keep this short since I know you're all anxious for the new chapter since it's been a week since the last update so thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Hope you all enjoy this one!**

**What do you say we hit 120 reviews on this chapter?**

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Mikaela had never been so happy for Christmas Eve before. She had been shopping like a maniac for the past week trying to find something for Sam and between the frustration of not being able to find anything and his pouting that she was always gone, she was just about ready to give up and skip the holiday. At the last minute she had finally found something, and now was anxious for that night to give it to him. Sam was going to love it, of that she was certain. Usually it was really easy to shop for him, but for some reason this time it was a draining experience. The sad part was that this was the first time she had ever had so much money available to shop with because of her job back in Philadelphia and the weekly allowances Keller had set up for them. Ron and Judy's presents had been easy to buy, so at least that part had made the whole shopping experience less stressful.

The hardest part now was going to be laying around waiting for the rest of the afternoon to pass by. Judy was very strict about presents not even being touched until after the sun went down. That was her one rule for opening presents on Christmas Eve. If they got too impatient, she would make them wait until Christmas morning. Sam and Mikaela had holed themselves up in his bedroom to hide their impatience. He had fallen asleep a little while ago, but she was too hyped up with excitement to drift off. Absentmindedly she ran her fingers through his hair and let her mind wander. The movie on the television was just background noise; truthfully, she didn't even know for sure what was playing.

Mikaela didn't often let herself think about her life before Sam. He was such an integral part of it now that sometimes she had trouble remembering how she lived before him. It was almost as if her life had truly started the day he offered her a ride home and every day before that she had merely existed. Before Sam, there had been no love in her life. Her dad had been in prison from the time she was eight until just after her 17th birthday, but before that she had pretty much been on her own anyway. Random babysitters had spent more time with her than her own dad had. It was a wonder she had never ended up strung out on drugs or pregnant at 16, but following in her parents' footsteps never appealed to her and she thanked God every day for that.

Sam had been her saving grace in all sense of the word. Her life had been spinning out of control when he came around. Knowing she was nothing more than a conquest to the guys in her clique at school had become too much to handle. Trent would have been the one to take her virginity, if only because she was tired of fighting against what seemed to be her fate. Even after she and Sam started dating, it had still been a struggle for her to realize she was worth more than her life before had shown. It was ironic that he always talked about how she was this amazing woman he didn't deserve, but really it was the complete opposite. Mikaela wasn't good enough for a man like Sam. That fact became more obvious when he found out she had cheated on him only months into their relationship but hadn't admitted it for over a year and a half. No other man would have forgiven that, but he had. Not only that, but he completely pushed their problems away along with the fact that they were broken up when Justin tried to rape her at the party.

The four and a half months they had been off at college in Philadelphia had been an eye opener in terms of their relationship. Everything had been great up until Thanksgiving, but then all the drama had started: first her dad, and then the cheating on Sam secret being revealed, and then the incident with Justin. Their relationship had strengthened, then been tested almost to the breaking point, and then strengthened more than she ever thought possible. Through it all, Sam had been her rock even when Mikaela had hurt him in the worst way.

"What're you thinking about?" Sam asked sleepily causing her to jump because she hadn't realized he was awake.

"How my life has changed since we got together," She replied.

"For the better I hope?"

"No, Sam, my life sucks now," Mikaela rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah?" Fully awake now, the mischievous glint in Sam's eye told her she was in trouble.

"Yep. Absolutely horrible," She figured she might as well play along.

"I'm gonna show you horrible," Sam teased and before she knew it he was straddling her waist with her arms pinned beneath his knees and tickling her sides.

"Okay, okay! I'm kidding!" Mikaela said between laughs and her eyes fell closed as she tried to catch her breath. "It doesn't suck!"

"It's too late sunshine. I'm gonna make you pay for that!" He was so busy focusing on tickling her that she seized the opportunity and rolled her hips into his.

"Then by all means, punish me," Mikaela said seductively and was rewarded with a growl. Sam's hands dropped from her sides so he could place them on the bed on both sides of her body for support as he grabbed her bottom lip with his teeth. The kiss slowly intensified as she began to respond. A sigh was heard, but it was unclear which one it came from. With everything that had happened over the last month, it had been a while since they had been intimate like this and it was as if the sound had come from both of them at the same time.

Her arms curled around his neck as she pushed her tongue against his closed lips. Sam was fighting against the desire to let his arms buckle and lay down on top of her, but in the back of his mind he recognized the need to do this slowly, cautiously. Any sudden move he made could take her back to that horrific night.

"'Kaela, are you okay with this? Is it too much too soon?" No way in hell did he want to stop, but he would for her.

"It's you, Sam. I'm not scared when I'm with you," Her eyes shone with the honesty of her words and he kept his eyes on hers as he gently lowered himself until there was no space left between their bodies.

"Just tell me if we need to stop. I don't wanna hurt you," Fingers massaged his skull once he captured her lips with his again. This time it was his tongue that slithered between her parted lips. Mikaela sucked on his tongue and every one of Sam's nerves exploded into a raging fire.

Sam wasted little time in letting one of his hands trail down her body to touch the bare skin underneath the skimpy tank top she wore. The warmth and familiarity of her smooth skin gave him a feeling of home. That they were able to do this meant all of the issues of the past month were just that: the past. This was the absolute proof that through everything they were still thriving.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me when you wear that?" Sam groaned referring to the tank top and short cotton shorts she wore.

"What are you talking about? I look like crap," Mikaela laughed.

"Baby, you're beautiful," To prove his point, he sat back on his knees and rubbed his palms up and down both of her legs. "You have got the sexiest legs I've ever seen."

"My legs huh?" He pushed her shirt up just enough to show her flat stomach and laid a kiss right above her belly button.

"And your stomach...every time I see it, it's an instant turn on."

"You're such a guy," She quieted when his gaze returned to her face.

"That smile...it takes a man's breath away," His thumb traced her lips.

"Oh yeah?"

"Those eyes...I get lost in them every time," Mikaela's eyes fell closed as Sam leaned in to gently kiss each eyelid.

When her eyes reopened, she was taken aback by the heated desire in the eyes staring back at her. A hand grasped the back of his neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss. The dueling of their tongues caused Mikaela's hips to subconsciously roll into his and Sam groaned from the contact. He resituated himself so that his left forearm was on the mattress supporting his weight and his right hand was free to tickle the skin exposed from his pushing her top up. The teasing had her giggling until his fingers reached her breasts and she broke the kiss to let out a soft moan. A smug grin lit up his face and normally she would have somehow wiped it off but at this point she didn't care. Mikaela wanted this just as much, if not more, than Sam did. Instead she let her eyes follow the movements of his fingers as they began to teasingly dip below her bra. Too impatient to wait for him, she reached a hand beneath her back and unsnapped her bra.

Sam gave her a slightly shocked look at her taking the initiative, but quickly recovered and shoved the offending material out of the way. A short kiss touched her lips before he lowered his head to her chest. His fingers teased her nipple until it was hard before his lips took over. The nipple rolled between his lips while his teeth occasionally changed pressures. Sometimes he would gently graze his teeth against it and other times he would bite down a little harder and tug at it.

Mikaela's back arched against the pleasure. He may have been a virgin less than two years ago, but he knew exactly what to do now. Sam's knuckles trailed across her other breast; the touch so feather light she almost couldn't feel it. She gasped as the air touched her nipple when he let it fall from his mouth and fisted the sheets when his mouth slowly moved through the valley of her breasts to the other one. Her concentration was so focused on the pleasure from his mouth that she didn't realize his hand had moved until it was pressed between her legs. A shuddered breath escaped her from the touch; it felt like it had been years since the last time they had been together. Sam seemed content to let his hand lie where it was, only occasionally moving it to rub his palm against her shorts, so Mikaela placed one of her hands on top of his to guide it and force him to move. All the while his lips never moved from her chest. With his hand still between her legs, she lifted her hips and pushed the shorts down far enough that he got the hint and moved to pull them all the way off.

Sam felt his dick get even harder when he saw her even skimpier thong. His girlfriend was undeniably the sexiest thing he'd ever seen lying there in a thong and her tank top pushed up to her neck and her cheeks flushed as hell from what he'd done to her. She growled at his pause and forcefully attacked his lips in an attempt to get him to move again. Her teeth roughly yanked at his bottom lip and his fist had a tight hold on her hip to try to rein in his self control. He was already teetering on the edge of letting go and just taking her right then and there, but he really wanted to take it slow and make sure she was satisfied before he thought about his own needs. Mikaela, however, had other ideas because every time he tried to break the kiss it was only a matter of seconds before her lips were on his again.

When she realized he wasn't going to cooperate with her pace, she took his hand and placed it back where it had been. Her fingers tightened over his as she forced him to touch her. He was finally able to break his lips away and quickly moved to nip at her neck. Her hand moved from on top of his when he started to touch her himself to tangle in his hair. When his finger flicked her clit she yanked a fistful of his hair and he hissed at the roughness. One finger, then two, slid inside of her and Mikaela bucked her hips in time with the rhythm of his fingers. Mikaela couldn't remember the last time she had been this insanely turned on just from his fingers inside her, but she absolutely loved the sensations. Whether it was how focused he was on her pleasure or that it'd been so long since the last time they had been together like this, or even a combination of the two, she didn't care. All she knew was that the sex itself was going to be completely, amazingly mind blowing.

Sam's lips found the sensitive spot on her neck and had her panting within seconds of turning his attention to that spot. One of her hands still held a fistful of the sheets in her palm and the other had a death grip on the arm he was using to tease her clit. At the rate she was going, her nails would break the skin on his arm but it wouldn't be the first time her nails had left their marks on him. He extended the arm he was using to support himself so he could watch her. Watching her arch her back and bite her bottom lip was an extremely hot sight to behold.

"Sam, honey, are you guys hun--oh crap!" Judy had forgotten to knock and waltzed right into her son's bedroom to find him on top of his girlfriend with his hand buried between her legs.

"Mom! What the hell?!" Sam immediately rolled off Mikaela, enabling her to scoot behind him so she could pull her shirt down and find her shorts that he'd thrown at the foot of the bed.

"I'm sorry! I thought you would be sleeping or watching TV!" His mom wagged her finger at him. "You were the one who told me to come get you when dinner was ready."

"Sam, I fucking _hate_ you right now!" Mikaela hissed embarrassedly at his back.

"Mom, thank you for letting us know it's time to eat," He ground out between his teeth. "We'll be down in a second."

Judy wasted no time in high tailing it out of his bedroom and shutting the door with more force than necessary. Sam fell on his back and tried to slow his racing heart. Mikaela jumped out of the bed and found a pair of sweats and a t-shirt to change into. No way was she going downstairs in what she had been wearing. Like she really wanted to have to look at his mother wearing the tank top Judy had seen shoved up to Mikaela's neck baring her naked chest and the shorts that were at their feet.

"Next time lock your fucking door asshole!" She angrily threw her clothes at his face. "Especially when you tell your mom to come get us!"

"It was an accident, I'm sorry! It's not like they don't already know, what's the big deal?"

"The big deal? Your mom just walked in on me basically naked with you fingering me! If she'd walked in two seconds later I would have been screaming your name!"

"Are you mad because she walked in on us or because you didn't get off?" Apparently that was the wrong thing to say because a shoe came flying at him.

"I'm mad because you knew she'd be coming up here and you didn't fucking warn me! All you had to do was lock the door or here's a thought: we could've waited until tonight just like we always do!"

"This wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for you being all 'punish me then'," Sam mocked the seductive tone she'd had.

"Uh uh, no, this wouldn't have happened if you'd mentioned you told your mom to come get us!"

"Oh, so now it's my fault?" He didn't know why it was such a big deal his mom walked in on them when she knew good and well they had a fairly active sex life but Mikaela's reaction was starting to piss him off.

"Well, it damn sure isn't mine!"

"That's right, you're perfect little Mikaela who does no wrong," Sam rolled his eyes sarcastically.

"Fuck you, Sam," Mikaela shoved his chest and stalked past him.

"What, are you going to go call Trent now?" Her hand froze over the doorknob and she spun around to give him a half-scathing, half-hurt look.

"Fuck you," She repeated and chunked her phone at his head. "You sure trust me, huh? That must be a lie because you obviously don't."

Sam stood there in shock after Mikaela had left his room. He wasn't completely sure how or why everything had blown up the way it did. She was embarrassed about his mom walking in on them and he felt like a jerk for not preventing that situation when he could've, but that was no reason for her to get as pissed off as she did. Clutching her phone in his hand, he remembered that Bee had recently gone to see Ratchet to get a speakerphone type thing installed in the Camaro.

_Hello Sam_, Bee's mechanical voice sounded when he called.

"Mikaela."

_What do you want Sam?_ Why did it sound like she was crying?

"Honey, where are you?"

_Right, because you care and all?_ She was crying.

"You know I care. I'm sorry, okay? I was a complete dick. Please come back?"

_I can't come back right now. _

"Why not?"

_How am I supposed to face your mother? Especially since I'm sure the whole damn neighborhood could hear us fighting._

"Well then where are you? I'll come to you."

_To prove to yourself that I'm not running to Trent?_

"I shouldn't have said that. You know I don't mean it," Sam ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Tell me where you're at, please?"

_Remember the park where you took me on our six month anniversary? We had a picnic and you sang to me and we fell asleep watching the stars on Bee's hood._

"Of course I do baby," He couldn't help but smile at the memory. "I'll be there in five minutes."

Sam hung up the phone and took off down the stairs to the main floor. He managed an apologetic grin at his parents before promising they would be home soon. The park wasn't far from his house and he sprinted the whole way there. Mikaela was sitting in the same spot they had sat the day of their anniversary. He didn't stop running until he was standing in front of her and the tears on her face made him feel more like an ass. One look at him and she jumped into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest.

"Forgive me for this, but what the hell?" Sam cradled his arms around his girlfriend's backside.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I wasn't really mad at you, more at myself than anything and I just took it out on you."

"Why were you mad at yourself?"

"Your mom is like the only mom I've got, and her walking in on us...I felt like I let her down. I know it's stupid and crazy because it's not like we've ever hidden our sex life. It's just always been more abstract to talk about it than for her to actually see it, and I just felt like a disappointment."

"Baby, you know that's not true. Mom thinks you walk on water," He said softly.

"I know, but you're her baby. Actually seeing us together like that...it was like I was a common whore."

"Don't you ever say that about yourself again," Sam said sternly. "Everybody knows you're so much more than that."

"I'm sorry."

"It's my fault. I should've warned you or locked the door or something," He pushed a strand of her out of her face. "And I damn sure never should have said anything about Trent."

"I don't blame you for not trusting me, Sam. I never have. I deserved that."

"No, baby, you didn't. Not at all. I trust you with my life," He kissed her forehead and leaned back to look at her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am. Thanks for coming after me," Mikaela said sheepishly.

"I'll come after you every single time. I'm not letting you go. You're going to marry me someday."

"Oh, you think so?" She teased.

"Well aren't you?"

"Of course I'm going to marry you, dummy. There's nothing in this world I want more."

"That's my girl," His lips met hers in a short kiss. "What do you say we go back and eat dinner? It's almost time for presents!"

"Dork," She intertwined her fingers in his.

"Aw, that kinda hurts my feelers baby," He said and looked over at her with his bottom lip jutted out.

"Oh, hush," Mikaela nudged his shoulder with her own as they walked back to the car.


	22. Chapter 22

**I know I've been slacking on the updating here recently, so I'm really really sorry for that! Hope you all aren't too mad at me! So, on to the good stuff...**

**Enjoy the new chapter, HUGE thanks to all my faithful reviewers (y'all are freakin' amazing!), please review, yada yada yada...**

**Again, I still don't own Transformers or anything else you may recognize. The only thing I own is the brain and creativity that's gotten us this far!**

* * *

Ron and Judy looked at them apprehensively when they first walked in the door, but lightened up considerably when they saw the smiles on their faces. Apologies were exchanged between Judy and Mikaela for barging in and Mikaela's subsequent reaction, and then the whole incident was forgotten. Ron had grilled up some steaks for their traditional Christmas Eve dinner and Judy had made a salad and baked potatoes. Sam couldn't help but be amused by the witty banter between his father and his girlfriend. They both had the same sarcastic sense of humor and could throw insults back and forth at each other without ever getting offended. Every now and then Judy or Sam would pitch in and say something, but for the most part it was the other two who did the majority of the talking.

Sam had made his famous peach cobbler that morning so once they all finished their steaks he got up from the table and served them all cobbler and ice cream. Ron teased his son about showing favoritism when he saw that his future daughter in law had more than he did. Never one to back down, Sam got up and grabbed the bowl with the remaining cobbler and the carton of ice cream and set them on the table in front of his father with a satisfied smirk on his face.

"Oh, you smart ass," Mikaela scolded and hit Sam on the shoulder.

"Aw thanks baby," He replied dryly. "Knew I could count on you."

Judy watched the interaction between her son and Mikaela with interest. There was a subtle difference in the way they acted towards each other, one she wouldn't notice if she hadn't seen their relationship from the very beginning. The two of them had always been serious with each other, but they were almost more in tune with the other now. They were almost constantly touching in some way or another, and it almost seemed as if it was a subconscious thing between the two of them. If she didn't know any better, she would think something had happened while they were away. Whatever it was, it wasn't her business. She wouldn't push either of them. They would tell her if they felt she needed to know. The new dimension to their relationship, however, had her more convinced than ever that Mikaela would be around for a long, long time.

"Okay, you two, I know you're going crazy from all the waiting," Judy spoke up once they were all finished with dessert. "How about you clean up the kitchen and then meet us in the living room?"

"Yes ma'am," Mikaela agreed while Sam groaned. Both woman rolled their eyes and Mikaela yanked him to his feet and pulled him to the kitchen after they cleared the table of dirty dishes.

"'Kaela?" Sam said softly as they started to rinse off all the dishes.

"What is it Sam?" She turned her body to look at him, her hands still at work in the sink.

"I love you," He leaned his head down and gently kissed her, applying pressure slowly. He moved until they were standing with her back against the counter. When his hands held her face, she expected to jump from the cold wetness of them but they were dry. In turn, her hands flattened against his chest and ran her tongue across his lip. A little sigh escaped him and his lips fell open enough for her to slide her tongue through and tease his own tongue.

"What was that for?" Mikaela said breathlessly when he pulled back to catch his breath.

"Promise not to laugh?" He asked.

"Baby, I'm not gonna laugh at you," She looked at him curiously. He usually never worried about her laughing at him; a lot of the times he said the things he did so she would laugh.

"It was just something about us in the kitchen watching dishes. I got this feeling of...forever," He struggled a little with the last word, not because of shyness or anything of the like but he couldn't figure out how to actually put the feeling he'd gotten into words.

"You felt it too?"

"Yeah. It was weird, it just hit me all of a sudden."

"Well, I hope you're ready for forever," She stood on her toes to kiss him again.

"As long as it's with you, I'm ready for anything," He gave her his adorable crooked grin and she couldn't help but kiss him one more time.

"I love you too."

They finished the dishes with no more interruptions. At least, aside from Mikaela spraying him with water and Sam retaliating by popping her with the dish rag, there weren't any other interruptions. When they made their way into the living room, Judy and Ron laughed at Sam's soaked t-shirt and Mikaela rubbing the backs of her legs and her behind. Both of them gave his parents identical glares which only caused them to laugh harder. She sat on the ottoman while Sam grabbed the presents under the tree and handed them out to whoever they belonged to.

Ron was the first to open his. It was one of the two from Mikaela, and she was glad he'd chosen to open that one first instead of opening the other one first. He looked in the box and started laughing almost hysterically. Sam caught the mischievous grin on his girlfriend's face and was curious as to what she'd given his dad that would make him laugh so hard. Ron stuck his hands in the box and one by one brought out five sets of salt-and-pepper shakers. Judy and Sam started chuckling along with him and Sam reached over from his seat on the chair and squeezed Mikaela's knee. When Sam was 13, he'd gotten his dad a salt-and-pepper shaker set shaped like hippos as a joke and from there it had become a tradition. Each year he'd buy a sillier set. Every one of them was set out all over the kitchen and it was an interesting collection. Somehow Mikaela had managed to find some shaped like socks and another like a liquor bottle. There was one with the San Diego Chargers logo, which was his favorite football team, and the fourth was shaped like the letter 'R' and 'J'. The fifth was probably the most hilarious: the salt shaker looked like a pair of breasts, and the pepper shaker was shaped like a penis. Some people would think that was a really strange gift to give to her boyfriend's dad, but the four people in the room knew it was a classic gift.

"Those are definitely the best ones I've gotten by far and away, Mikaela," Ron wiped away tears in his eyes from laughing so hard.

"I now officially bow down to the master," Sam made a play of getting on his knees to bow at Mikaela's feet so she pushed him over onto his back.

"Okay, Judy, now it's your turn," Mikaela said and then stuck her tongue out at Sam who was looking up at her from his back in shock.

Judy picked up the gift from Sam and set out to begin unwrapping it. Mikaela was curious to see what he'd bought for his parents, just as she knew he was of hers. This year they hadn't been able to go shopping for gifts together because of everything that had happened. There was a smile on Judy's face that went from ear to ear as she unwrapped a brand new set of cookware. She loved to cook and religiously watched just about every cooking show on TV. Mikaela caught the brand name on the side of the box and whistled to herself. The set Sam had bought was nowhere near cheap. In fact, it was pretty damn outrageously expensive.

"Sam, you shouldn't have!" His mother got up from the couch she was sitting on and went to give him a big hug and kiss him all over his face. "You're such a sweetheart!"

Then it was Sam's turn. He started to reach for the biggest box, but changed his mind and instead reached for one of the four other ones. Like a little kid, he tore off the wrapping paper so quickly Mikaela blinked and missed about half of it.

"Aw man, I can't believe you remembered!" He looked over at his dad. "I freakin' love you Dad!"

"How could I possibly forget? You reminded me every time we talked for the last month," Ron replied sarcastically. Sam dug in the box and pulled out a game and two steering wheels to go along with his brand new Nintendo Wii.

"You're so goin' down, 'Kaela. I'm gonna school you on some Mario Kart!"

"Dream on, honey. I'll show you how it's done," Mikaela gave him a cocky smile.

Mikaela opened her gift from Ron next and found a new set of tools. He sheepishly told her he'd bought them before he'd known she'd quit her job. She assured them she loved them and would still use them. The conspiratorial look that passed between Ron and Sam's face was missed by both of the women.

They went around in circles opening their gifts. Ron got a new set of grilling utensils from Sam, Mikaela also bought him a year's subscription to his two favorite automobile magazines, and Judy bought him a new pair of work boots and some clothes and movies. He'd just bought a new Range Rover, what more did he really need? Mikaela had made Judy a scrapbook of Sam's time at college, a gift that the matriarch had absolutely loved and gave her a teary eyed hug in thanks. She'd also given her a couple cookbooks and gift certificates to a spa in town. Sam had gotten a new 42" flat screen high definition TV, a Blu-Ray player, and gift cards to his two favorite clothing stores from his parents. Mikaela had bought him tickets to see his favorite band play in Philadelphia. From Judy, Mikaela received a pair of diamond earrings and a matching silver and diamond bracelet as well as a gift card to Victoria's Secret with an outrageous amount of money on it. Judy had slyly told her to "take Sam out shopping" when she'd opened the envelope. Sam's gifts to her were a pair of shoes she had really wanted and a necklace with a heart shaped pendant that was outlined in diamonds.

Each of them began to clean up the messes they made, and stuffed all the shredded wrapping paper in a big empty box. Ron carried the box out to the garage. While he was gone, Judy took both of their presents and put them away and Mikaela and Sam each took theirs upstairs to his bedroom.

"Hold on, we're not done yet," Sam pulled two boxes from behind his back and handed one to his mom and one to Mikaela. "Mom, you first." Judy opened her box and pulled out two tickets. When she read what they were for, she dropped the box and gave her son a wide eyed look.

"A cruise?!"

"Yes, Mom, a cruise. You and Dad deserve it."

"How the hell did you get these?"

"I don't need much money. Between the money we get from Keller every month and the money from working at the restaurant, I had plenty to spend," She gave him a tight hug and kissed him on the forehead. Sam scuffed his foot against the carpet in embarrassment before turning to his girlfriend with an almost nervously shy look on his face. "'Kaela? Open yours?"

Inside the box, Mikaela found a set of keys. She didn't recognize what they were for and gave him a confused look.

"Keys?"

"There's something taped to the lid," She turned over the lid and pulled off the paper that was there. Once it was off, she realized it was a picture. Turning it over, she saw a '69 Chevy Camaro SS sitting in a familiar driveway. More than that, it was an exact replica of how she'd pictured her dream car to be right down to the type of wheels and tires on it.

"Tell me this isn't what I think it is," This time it was Mikaela's turn to give Sam a wide eyed stare.

"Merry Christmas, baby. It's your dream car."

"How?"

"I called in a couple favors. Keller knew someone who had one, and when the Secretary of Defense and the President of the United States show up to buy a car, it's easy to get a really good deal."

"You bought me a _car_, Sam. Not just any car, but a classic muscle car that I've always dreamed of having."

"Anything for the best," He turned her head and found her lips in yet another passionate kiss. Her hands traveled to the back of his hair and gently tugged when he sucked on her bottom lip. Sam blindly moved until he felt the couch cushions hit his knees and laid her down on her back before covering her with his body. Neither noticed his parents still standing in the room because their kissing never stopped. His lips traveled down the side of her neck where he grazed his teeth at the base. She arched her back against the sensations and raked her nails through his hair. Mikaela felt his hands tighten around her waist the way they always did when he wanted her so bad he could hardly control himself.

"God, do you guys EVER stop?" Ron teased and they jumped apart.

"Ron, I think they're worse than they were at Thanksgiving," Judy laughed.

"Well, if you people would quit interrupting us!" Sam growled and shot his parents dirty looks.

"We just wanted to give you guys your stockings," Ron said slyly and waited for them to sit up before he handed each of them one. "Should come in handy, I'm thinking."

"_Dad_!" Sam groaned when he realized their stockings were stuffed to the brim with condoms. He looked over at his girlfriend and saw she had her elbows on her knees and was hiding her face.

"You've obviously proven you both are horny teenagers, might as well be careful," Judy said simply.

"Mom, I think we've got that covered now," He stood up and pulled Mikaela to her feet. "Now if you'll excuse us, we're leaving. This is entirely too awkward."

Ron and Judy watched as the couple hurriedly shuffled out of the living room and through the front door.

"Notice how neither one of them left behind their stocking?" Judy gave her husband a look and they both laughed.

"Or how neither of them was wearing shoes?"

"I don't think either of them is going to be driving that car."


	23. Chapter 23

**Okay, so I know I've been really horrible about updating lately so I'm really sorry for that. Seems like the only time I'm at home anymore is to take a shower or change clothes or brush my teeth. Anyway, like 95% of this chapter is going to reenforce the M rating so if that makes you uncomfortable, basically all you'll be able to read is the very beginning and the end. Didn't quite mean to drag it out so long, but I was having fun with it. Just as a warning, it might take me a little bit to put the next chapter up. It's a really, really important one and I want it to be perfect. I had it written, but a certain person (who I am extremely grateful to!) made a couple suggestions and it's basically doubled in length and I'm nowhere near done. So far I'm at something like 8,800 words, so it might end up split into two or so chapters although I really don't want to split it. I'm apologizing in advance if it takes me some time to post it but I promise it will be worth the wait!**

**Once again, I don't own Transformers or any other recognizable name. I'm just playing with 'em. Thanks to all my faithful reviewers, you guys are my inspiration!**

**Please review! :-)**

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"Sam, I can't believe you bought me a car," Mikaela turned back to look at him from her seat on his lap.

"Why wouldn't I? That's the one thing you've always wanted."

"I know, but a '69 SS is expensive even if it's all run down. A completely restored SS that looks like that? I feel like a bitch saying this, but how could you even afford that?"

"Keller helped me out. He got me a really good deal."

"Thank you, Sam. That has got to be one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me."

"Honey, after all we've been through you deserve a little happiness," Sam said and she kissed his cheek.

"Where are we going?"

"Bee's just gonna drive around for a while," As if he suddenly remembered why they had left his house in the first place, Sam moved her hair and started kissing the back of her neck. Mikaela gasped in surprise and felt his hands on her hips again. She reached down and intertwined her fingers with his left hand and brought it to her lips so she could kiss his fingertips. Her head turned towards him and his lips moved until she could feel his breath on her ear. "You are so fucking sexy I don't know how to control myself."

"Then don't," She pressed her lips to his. "Let go baby."

Their lips collided with a renewed vigor. Tongues clashed violently and her back arched involuntarily when he ran his tongue over hers and then sucked on it. She felt his groan when her back arching had pushed her ass harder onto his crotch and teasingly rolled her hips just to make him crazy. His right hand slipped under her shirt and started up her stomach, but just below her breasts he changed his mind and slid it into the waistband of her sweats. The muscles in her stomach clenched with anticipation as he ran his fingers along her center through her panties. Sam ground his palm against her and was rewarded with a shaky moan. Mikaela moved her left leg so she could set her foot on the dash to give him more room and a better angle. He moved her underwear out of the way and immediately began to tease her clit.

"Fuck, Sam," Mikaela moaned and his pants got tighter at the husky tone of her voice.

"That's it baby, just let go," He whispered her words into her ear and slipped a finger inside her. It was all he could do not to moan himself when her back arched, again, and her hand found its way into his hair. Her hips bucked against his finger trying to make him speed up, but he never seemed to cooperate with her. She didn't know how long she could last, not after being interrupted earlier. Mikaela had been so turned on during their dinner and presents afterward that she was surprised nobody had been able to tell. A second finger joined the first and her other hand grabbed hold of his forearm in a tight grip. Sam loved the way she would grab his arm; it meant she couldn't hold on much longer. His thumb circled her clit and occasionally flicked the bundle of nerves. Knowing she was close, he moved his lips to her ear and licked the shell before taking the lobe between his lips and tugged at it with his teeth. Mikaela moaned and he felt her walls tighten around his fingers as an orgasm racked through her body. The hand in his hair pulled roughly and he watched the toes on her foot curl from the pleasure. His fingers never stopped moving as she rode out her orgasm. Sam thought he was going to lose it just from watching her and hearing the little noises she kept making. Her body slumped against his and she captured his lips with hers. The desire and the heat radiating off his body was that much more pronounced in his kiss.

"I love you," Mikaela's lips whispered against his.

"You always love me after I get you off," Sam smiled crookedly and flinched when she pinched his side.

"Asshole," She mumbled and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I love you too," He tickled her sides and was rewarded with one of her blinding smiles.

"Lean the seat back?" She asked and turned so she was straddling his waist. His hand reached down and held the switch until the seat was pushed almost all the way back. Eyes followed her as she scooted down his body until her knees rested on the floorboard. Her small hand groped him through his pants and he watched heatedly as she unbuttoned, then unzipped, them. His hips lifted when she pulled and she pushed them and his boxers out of her way. Fingernails grazed the shaft of his dick and his eyes rolled back.

"'Kaela, I don't know if that's a good idea," Sam panted. "I don't know how long I can last."

"Sammy, we've got all night," Mikaela gave him a wicked smile. "And two stockings full of condoms."

"Woman, you're going to be the death of me," His voice rose on the last word when she wrapped her hand around the base of his dick.

Mikaela watched the feelings play out on his face. As much as she loved moments like these, they wouldn't be near as good if she didn't know how a simple touch from her turned him on so much. She gave him a sultry smile and watched his eyes stare at her mouth when she slowly licked her lips. A hiss escaped him when she leaned down and trailed her tongue from the base on the underside all the way up and over the head and all the way back down the top of it. She lifted her head to watch his face as she stroked her hand up and down. In between his legs, she could feel his muscles tighten as he fought to control himself. Her breath lightly blew on the head and his hands clenched into fists.

"Don't tease me baby," Sam groaned breathlessly. "You're driving me crazy."

No more encouragement was needed. Soft lips took him into her mouth and he let out a shuddering gasp that rocked even her own body. Mikaela's tongue trailed behind her lips and swirled all around his rigid shaft. From her position on the floorboard between his legs, she looked up at Sam through her eyelashes and began a slow, torturous pace that had him throwing his head back and breathing through his clenched teeth. Her free hand massaged his balls, lightly raking her nails across them just hard enough that it wouldn't hurt him. One of Sam's hands finally moved to the back of her head trying to force her to increase her pace so she let go of his balls and took both of his hands in hers.

Sam grunted in impatience, so Mikaela finally decided to take pity on him and bobbed her head a little bit faster. She even finally let go of his hands, knowing the control of her pace would make him crazy. Her hand stayed on the base of his dick, occasionally squeezing, while she swallowed the rest of it and then lifted her head far enough that only his head stayed between her lips and took her sweet time teasing it before going back down again.

"Mikaela," The strangled gasp tore from his lips. "I'm gonna come."

A quick decision was made in her mind. Her pace slowed just a little bit, but every time she took him all the way in the suction increased and she felt his hands pulling at her hair. At the last possible second, she let him fall from his mouth and stroked him rapidly until he threw his head back with his eyes squeezed shut as he let out a long moan and exploded onto his stomach where she'd quickly pushed his shirt out of the way.

When his breathing slowed and his body relaxed, he reached into the center console and pulled out a handful of tissues. After the first time, they'd learned to keep them in the car so they would always have them on hand. Sam's hands moved under her arms and lifted her back on top of him where they engaged in a passionate kiss. Mikaela's hands moved to his chest underneath his t-shirt and ran her nails up and down his toned torso. She tilted her head to the side when his lips trailed kisses along her jaw to her neck. A street light from the highway shone in the window and broke her from her reverie.

"Sam," She said softly.

"What?" His words against her neck made her shiver.

"Backseat," That's all she needed to say and crawled over the center console to the backseat. He sat the passenger seat back up and shoved his pants off but left his boxers on before moving to the back with her.

"I still can't figure out how we manage to fuck back here," Sam laughed. "This backseat is tiny."

"And yet, we do it all the time," A sexy smile lit up her face and he scooted closer towards her so he could lay them both back.

"Yeah, because you're a freakin' sex addict."

"Like you don't love every minute of it," Her eyes rolled in sarcasm.

"I just love you," He gave her a quirky grin. "The sex is just a hell of an added bonus."

Sam's lips found her neck again and she tried to control her breathing. One would think moments like these would lose their luster after two years, but with Sam it got better every time. Nimble fingers found the hem of her shirt and pulled the offending article over her head. They stopped for a moment so she could push the sweats off her legs and he took his shirt off so they were only in their socks and underwear.

"You are so damned beautiful," He whispered reverently and saw her blush.

"Sam," She said softly and tried to hide her face when she knew he saw.

"Mikaela, you just sucked my dick in the front seat of a moving car. Why are you blushing _now_?"

"It's nothing," She tried to drop the subject by kissing him but he turned his head.

"No, it's something," He took her face in his hands and looked at her intently. "What is it?"

"The way you talk about me...it's like you're amazed," Mikaela bit her lip hoping he would understand.

"Baby, I am amazed. Absolutely fucking amazed."

"Why?"

"You're everything."

"Sam, I don't deserve--" He cut her off.

"No, don't even go there," He said seriously. "Whatever you were going to say, it doesn't matter. I love you. You love me. This right here is about us. This is about how we feel about each other. Nothing else matters but you and me right here right now."

"I fucking love you," Mikaela whispered and he could see the glassiness of her eyes that spoke of unshed tears.

"I know, baby. I fucking love you too," Sam pushed her hair away from her face.

Mikaela leaned down and kissed him with everything she had. His arms wrapped around her waist and she snuggled in closer to him. This kiss wasn't like any other they'd just shared. It was softer, more emotional rather than driven by desire and arousal. That's not to say the latter wasn't there, just muted for the time being. Or until Sam's hand trailed up her spine to her bra and unclasped it. She raised herself up to take it off without breaking their kiss and nipped at the tip of his tongue when his thumbs ran over both of her nipples. Not wanting him to have all the fun, Mikaela found his ear with her lips and left little bite marks all along the outside of it. His ears were one of the quickest ways to turn him on along with the way her hips were moving against his. The heat between their two bodies was almost unbearable combined with the leather seats and the small backseat and as a result they both started to slick with sweat.

"Mikaela, are you absolutely sure you're ready for this?" Sam wouldn't push her any farther than she was ready to go.

"What was it you just said? 'Nothing else matters but you and me right here right now'?" Mikaela saw him open his mouth to tell her it was different so she put a finger over his lips to stop him. "I want this, Sam. We need this."

"I want to hear you tell me you're sure. Tell me you're ready."

"I've never been more ready for anything in my life."

To prove her point, she pushed her thong down her shapely legs and kicked them to the floor before doing the same to his boxers. A condom was grabbed from one of the stockings and quickly rolled onto him. Mikaela lifted her hips and positioned him under her. Their eyes never wavered from each other as she lowered herself until he was completely inside of her. Neither of them moved for a moment as she got used to the feel of him again. Sam laced his fingers through hers when her hips started to rock and pulled her to him so she was flush against his chest. She wanted to go slow, take their time, but knew as soon as they began to move in sync that they wouldn't be able to. Lips collided in a needy kiss and he parted his to allow Mikaela's tongue entrance as it mimicked the movement between their hips. This time it was him who nipped and sucked on her tongue, causing her to tighten her walls around him.

Sam put his hands on her hips to stop her from moving and started to turn his body. Realizing what he wanted, Mikaela slid off of him and lay on her back. He positioned his hands on the seat next to her shoulders as he hovered over her. Eyes half-closed with desire stared up at him and he felt her hand close around him to guide him back inside her. Her back arched as he filled her again and he lowered his head to her chest to tease her nipples.

"_Sam_," God, his name on her lips made him want to explode right then and there. Legs locked around his waist to pull him in deeper.

Mikaela couldn't ever remember it feeling like this. It had always been amazing, but this...words couldn't accurately describe what it was. Especially when he angled his hips like _that_, and a moan tore from her body at the new sensation. Her hand found the back of his neck and pulled his head to hers and crashed against his lips. Sam could tell from her urgency that she was close and increased his pace to match her own. Wanting to see her face as the orgasm rage through her nerves, he extended his arms to look down at her. One of her hands grabbed a fistful of her own hair at the top of her head and she pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth.

"Come on baby," Sam grunted in a low voice. "Just let go."

He thrust in one, two, three more times before her walls tightened around him and her back arched as she moaned his name out when the intense orgasm rocked her body. His hips didn't slow as she rode out her orgasm and the way she pulsed around him had him seeing stars. Try as he might, he couldn't hold out any longer and with one last roll of his hips, he buried himself inside her and groaned as he came. On both sides of her body, his arms shook with the lingering effects of his own orgasm and he felt Mikaela put her hands on his chest to help lower him so he rested on his elbows instead of collapsing on top of her. After resting for several minutes and letting his heartbeat return to normal, he stretched into the front seat to get their clothes and the tissues to clean himself off.

"I love you Sammy," Mikaela curled into his chest once they were redressed.

"I love you too darlin'," Sam kissed the top of her forehead. "Are you tired?"

"A lil' bit," She slurred.

"I thought you said we had all night?" He teased.

"Power nap," Came her simple answer. "You better get one too. That's all the sleep we're getting tonight."

"You are going to kill me," Despite his words, he told Bee to take them back home and promptly fell asleep with her in his arms.

The couple tried to sneak past the living room where his parents were still up watching a movie, but he should've known his parents had some kind of radar that alerted them to their return so they could embarrass them some more.

"Mikaela, why are your pants on inside out and backwards?" Judy asked innocently, but the teenagers both knew it was fake by the sly smile on the older woman's face.

"Happens when you have to get dressed in the dark in the backseat of a Camaro," Three mouths fell open at Sam's blunt comment and Mikaela smacked him in the chest.

"Goodnight Judy, Ron," Mikaela dragged Sam towards the stairs.

"Samuel James! Bring those stockings back here!" Ron hollered. "Condoms stay downstairs!" He'd only been kidding, as per usual, but he wasn't expecting what his son said next.

"That's okay Dad, I have like four boxes of 'em in my bags anyhow," Sam gave his parents an arrogant smile and set the two stockings down next to them on the couch. Normally his last two statements would have been completely taboo since it embarrassed the hell out of him to talk about his sex life with his parents, but he was still high on the effects of his orgasm and didn't care.

"Sam!" Mikaela hissed at him from the hallway. Ron and Judy heard another slap a few seconds after their son had left the living room and then guessed that she'd pushed him towards the stairs by the sounds of footsteps stumbling.

************

"You dumbass," Mikaela laughed and shut and locked the door to his bedroom. "I'm pretty sure you almost gave your parents a heart attack!"

"It just slipped out," Sam spanked her ass when she walked by him.

"Slipped out huh?" He caught the gleam in her eye and immediately understood the sexual innuendo.

"You're not mad?" Both of them remembered the fight from earlier that afternoon when Judy had interrupted them.

"No, I think you were right that I was more mad that I didn't get off when I was so fucking close," She smiled sheepishly and rolled her eyes.

"Did I seriously just tell my parents we left to fuck in the backseat of my car and that we're going to fuck all night?" All of a sudden there was a mortified look on his face as he took in the conversation from minutes before.

"Yeah, you did," Mikaela took his hand and pulled him to her before slinging her arms around his neck.

Suffice it to say, neither of them slept much that night. In all honesty, they never actually fell asleep. Sometime after the sun had started to rise and the second box of condoms was almost half empty, they passed out from the overload of pleasure they'd both experienced that night.


	24. Chapter 24

**Okay, I'm horrible I know--it's been FOREVER since I updated. I've had this chapter written, but it's a big one so I wanted to make it perfect and that's where I kept getting stuck. Not only that, but I haven't hardly been home more than to shower and brush my teeth. I don't hardly sleep at home these days. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It's definitely the longest by far! As always, I don't own Transformers or any other brand name mentioned in this chapter. I'll try not to wait so long to update the next chapter, I promise!**

**Please, please, please review!!**

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Mikaela was jarred awake Christmas morning by Judy banging on Sam's door and hollering at them to wake up. Thank God they'd at least remembered to lock the door this time since all she was wearing was one sock. How that sock managed to stay on when the rest of her clothes were thrown all over his room she didn't know, but the sight of it made her laugh softly.

"Samuel James Witwicky!" Judy pounded on the door a little harder. "Mikaela! Wake up! We're leaving in an hour!" Mikaela looked at the clock and 9:04 glared back at her in bright red numbers.

"I'm up Judy," She yanked on Sam's shirt and boxers before cracking open the door.

"Oh good morning Mikaela," Both women tried to pretend it wasn't an awkward situation for Mikaela to be opening Judy's son's door wearing his clothes.

"Morning. I'll wake Sam up."

"Okay, good. We're leaving at ten."

"We'll be ready," She told his mom. Judy turned to leave and Mikaela shut the door before going back to the bed. Sam groaned and rolled over when she shook his shoulder, so she picked up her pillow and started beating him with it.

"Fine! Fine, I'm awake!" Sam looked at his girlfriend groggily. "What the hell?"

"You've gotta get up Sam. We're leaving at ten."

"Please tell me it's not really nine o'clock in the morning," He whined. Not that she blamed him, of course, they had only had about two hours sleep.

"Come on Sam get up," She threw his legs over the side of the bed and pulled him into a sitting position.

"You look sexy as hell wearing my clothes," Sam pulled his girlfriend down into his lap. "Especially when I know you're not wearing anything underneath."

"Not gonna work," Mikaela smiled and gave him a quick kiss. "Go take a shower."

They showered together. The idea had been Mikaela's, but only because they were short on time. Neither of them even tried to do anything sexual in the shower even after Sam's earlier comment. In all honesty, both of them were entirely too exhausted to think about having sex in the shower. The most intimate moment had been washing each other's hair.

Sam brushed his teeth before relinquishing the bathroom to his girlfriend so she could do her hair and makeup. He found a turquoise and white striped polo and a pair of Hollister jeans and pulled them on. Why he needed to get up an hour before they left when it only took him maybe 20 minutes to get ready, he didn't know. Digging his boots out of the bottom of their bag, Sam slipped them on and tied them before checking himself out in the mirror. A cocky grin lit up his face when he was pleased with his appearance. By no means was he self-centered or overly arrogant, but Mikaela had built up his confidence enough to the point that he knew when he looked good.

In the bathroom, Mikaela was just finishing her make up when her boyfriend walked in. Not really paying any attention to him, she just smiled and went back to what she was doing. Sam leaned against the wall and watched as she added the final touches to the makeup he didn't think she even needed.

"Well, hello handsome," Mikaela smiled appreciatively and kissed his cheek when she finally took notice of his outfit.

It was an hour and a half drive to Sam's grandparents' house in Canyon Lake, a small town northeast of Los Angeles. Both teenagers were asleep before Ron had turned off of their street. Judy let them sleep knowing they would need it so as not to make the rest of their family suspicious as to why they were so exhausted. For Judy and Ron to know why was one thing, but the rest of the family questioning their tiredness was completely different. Sam's mother knew it would mortify his girlfriend if his extended family knew the couple had stayed up all night having sex especially when it would be only the second time she had ever spent time with them.

They were the last to arrive, which was expected since the rest of the family all lived in Canyon Lake. Mikaela woke up before Sam and spent the last few minutes fixing her clothes and checking her makeup so that it wouldn't look like she'd just woken up. Sam had it easy. All he'd had to do was smooth out his shirt where she'd leaned against him.

Ron and Sam carried in the gifts they had brought with them. The family had a tradition of bringing gifts for each of their nieces and nephews, or grandchildren in the case of Curtis and Julianne, and they also did Secret Santa. Names for the Secret Santa gifts had been drawn back on Thanksgiving . Mikaela had decided not to join in the Secret Santa this time since it was her first Christmas with Sam's family, much to his dismay. He'd begged and pleaded with her to do it, but she told him she didn't want to jump right into his family's traditions. To them, she was his new girlfriend despite their dating for two years.

Just like at Thanksgiving, the women were in the kitchen and the men were in the living room watching an old football game. Cousins were scattered all over the house. The younger ones were in the kitchen with their mom or playing with toys in the living room floor. Some of the older boys were in the den playing video games. The few girls who were in junior high and older could be seen with their eyes glued to cell phones constantly text messaging friends or boyfriends.

Sam took one of Mikaela's hands in his and led her to the den. His cousin, Luke, had brought his Wii and they were currently taking turns racing each other on Mario Kart. Kyler, Drew, and Jacob greeted Mikaela like they were old friends and Sam was secretly grateful for it. She hadn't admitted it and he hadn't asked, but he knew she was still nervous about spending time with his family.

In typical boy fashion, they all soon became caught up in their video game. Mikaela sat back on the couch and watched in amusement. Sam was so focused on the game and trying to beat all of his cousins that he became oblivious to his girlfriend, which was fine by her. He saw her every single day; he saw his cousins only a handful of times a year and even less than that now that he was living in Philadelphia. It was obvious how close they all were, who was she to take that away from him?

So far, Sam was on a roll. He'd beaten Jake his first turn, then Drew and Luke, and was now half a lap away from beating Kyler. The only ones left to race were Toby, Shawn, and Brady. Beating them would probably be fairly easy since Brady was the oldest at 15, but Sam knew better than to underestimate them. From experience, he knew the younger boys lived for video games since they were too young to drive and go out with friends. Then there was also the fact that his grandpa had beaten Drew and every other one of his grandsons that he'd played when they all got together at Thanksgiving. Even still, he was confident nobody else could beat him.

Just as he thought, his younger cousins didn't stand a chance. All three of them lost badly against him. The closest of any of them was Brady finishing third, neither Shawn or Toby could finish any higher than sixth. Sam was so busy gloating about his domination of Mario Kart against his cousins that he didn't notice the gleam in Jake's eye when he saw Mikaela rolling her eyes at her boyfriend.

"Mikaela, it's all up to you babe," Jake said teasingly. "Somebody needs to knock him off."

"Jake, why you wasting your time man?" Sam taunted. "Nobody has beat me yet."

"If she can put up with your dumb ass for two years, beating you at Mario Kart should be a piece of cake."

"Yeah, Sam, you scared of losing to a girl?" Mikaela joined in on the teasing.

"Honey, I just don't want to embarrass you," Sam smirked.

"You can't beat the master," She slid off the couch to sit next to him on the floor. "Just admit it."

"Why, Ms. Banes, that sounds like a challenge to me."

"It's a challenge, alright, Witwicky."

Jake handed Mikaela his wheel and the guys sat back to watch their cousin go head to head with his girlfriend.

Since they had to race four races, Sam decided to go with the hardest first and do Rainbow Road. Mikaela wanted to slap him for choosing that course; he knew how much she hated it because she always seemed to fall off constantly. This time, however, she was determined to beat him in front of his own cousins. In a way, it would be retribution for each one of them losing to him in succession.

The first race was close. Sam just barely beat Mikaela by a couple tenths of a second, and wasted little time in beginning his gloating. He wanted to get in her head, but she knew him too well. He was going to get so focused on trying to psych her out that he would just end up getting overconfident. All she had to do stay calm and wait.

They raced the second race on the Bowser's Castle course originally from the Nintendo 64. It was his all time favorite course to race, and she knew he'd be tough to beat at this one. One night at Andy's, Colton had raced him for an hour and a half straight trying to beat him at Bowser's Castle and had never been able to do it. Mikaela wouldn't publicly admit it, but she'd played Mario Kart on her old N64 for months. Truthfully, she wasn't even sure if Sam knew that or not. It just wasn't something that had ever come up.

Mikaela had the race in the bag, until that stupid spiny blue shell hit her just as she was making the last turn. She tried to jerk the wheel up and down to lessen the effects of the weapon, but didn't time it right. Sam passed her just as she'd started to accelerate and once again won the race, this time by half a second.

Sam let her pick the next course, which was her favorite: Waluigi Stadium. Nobody had ever beat her on that course, and she was determined to keep it that way. She had to beat him this time or she didn't stand a chance of winning overall.

"Come on baby, you're making this too easy," His taunting intensified her motivation, determination, drive. There was no way he was beating her this time.

Mikaela had held the top spot since taking it from Sam just after their third race began. For the first two laps, they'd both fought hard. Several times he had come close to taking first from her, but she'd always been able to pull away at just the last second. When the race was over, he came in fourth thanks to some timely weapons from their computer opponents. Mikaela could see the wheels start to turn as he realized he had to finish ahead of her or she would win the trophy.

"I've got you right where I want you, _baby_," She smiled confidently.

They agreed on Wario's Gold Mine for the final course. It was a favorite of both of theirs and one they were equally good at. Sam knew this was his last chance to win. If she stayed out in front of him, he would fall short of the trophy.

Mikaela absolutely dominated the first two laps, but the final lap was an intense back and forth affair. One second she would be in the lead and pulling away, and the next Sam had passed her. As they came down the final straightaway, she worried for the first time that he might actually come in first overall. They crossed the finish line at almost the exact same time, and everyone in the room waited anxiously for the times to flash across the screen to find out who won.

"Not quite a piece of cake," Jake laughed and slapped hands with Mikaela. "But at least somebody finally shut him up."

"I don't know if I should be happy that someone finally knocked Sam off his high horse, or pissed that it took a girl to do what us guys couldn't," Kyler grumbled but there was a smile on his face.

"Can't beat the master," Mikaela gave her boyfriend a cocky smile before leaning in and kissing the pout off his face.

Competitive nature took over and the next thing she knew, she was racing against his cousins trying to beat all of them too. Kyler, Brady, and Toby went down in humiliating defeat, but the boys didn't give her time to gloat. As soon as one was done, the wheel was immediately passed to whoever was next in line and they started all over again. Shawn had given her a little bit of trouble in the first two races, but she pulled away in the final two and beat him as well. Drew had so far been her hardest competition, always right behind her and constantly threatening to take the lead from her.

Sam pulled Mikaela into his lap after she beat Drew. The only one left to try to defeat her was Jake, and he knew his cousin would be her toughest competition. Among his cousins, Jake had always been the best at Mario Kart and Sam knew the only reason he'd beaten him today was because he had played on a Nintendo Wii more than Jake had and knew the steering wheel better. It wouldn't take him long to get the hang of it though, and Jake would give her a run for her money.

Mikaela felt Sam's lips on her neck in the middle of the second race. She knew he was trying to distract her so she would mess up. It would make the boys look bad if they all lost to a girl, and he was trying to salvage what little pride they had left.

"Hey no cheating Sam!" She laughed.

"That's not cheating," He breathed into her ear before taking her ear lobe in his teeth and teasing it for a second. "_That_ is cheating." Sam went back to what he was doing and Mikaela clenched her jaw to fight the sensations. She could hear the guys around her sniggering at what Sam's ministrations.

It took everything she had to ignore what he was doing, but she managed to focus on the race and beat Jake by a hair. It was the closest finish she'd had out of all the races she'd won, and they took it to mean Sam was having a bigger effect on her than she would let show.

He ran his hands up and down her sides along with kissing her neck on the next race. Sam knew he was turning her on by the way her breathing changed. Nobody else around them had noticed because she was hiding it fairly well but he was so close to her that he could hear it.

Mikaela knew Sam knew what he was doing to her, and she was determined not to let him win. In fact, it made her want to beat Jake's ass that much more. At the end of the race, she turned around and planted a quick kiss on his lips.

"Baby, you're not gonna win," Mikaela said softly against his lips.

Jake chose the Rainbow Road for their final race, and she groaned inwardly. It was hard enough to win that race without any distractions, but with Sam's lips on her neck? Winning would be a miracle.

Sam looked around to make sure his younger cousins were watching the TV, and then let his knuckles graze the underside of his girlfriend's breast. He heard her inhale sharply and smirked to himself. Mikaela shifted to get away from his wandering hands and his own breath caught when her hips ground against his own. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her smile and knew she'd heard him.

"Damn it!" Jake threw the controller down when the race was over. "Fine, Mikaela, you are officially the master at Mario Kart!"

Mikaela gloated for several minutes before she handed both controllers to Brady and Shawn and let the younger boys race each other. She and Sam, along with Kyler, Drew, and Jake, made their way to the other side of the den and started talking amongst themselves. It was obvious the wit and sarcasm ran in Sam's family because his cousins were easily as funny as Sam and Ron were. Jake was especially funny with all the crazy voices he kept making.

A while later, Sam's Aunt Brooke leaned her head in the door and hollered for them to come eat. As always, the meal was sure to be a good one. Mikaela had learned at Thanksgiving that the women in Sam's family were amazing cooks. Christmas and Thanksgiving were the only two times of the year where simply enjoying the food was all that mattered. Diets, calorie counting, and all around health consciousness were pushed to the back of the mind for 24 hours.

She was content just to curl into Sam's side when she finished eating. He didn't even complain that he suddenly had to eat one handed when his right arm wrapped around her and his fingers traced patterns into her side. Julianne smiled as she watched her grandson place a tender kiss on the top of his girlfriend's head. Only one other time had she ever seen such a strong love between two people, and that was her and Curtis. As long as they remembered to follow their hearts no matter what, they would someday be watching their own grandchildren falling in love. Of that, she was completely certain.

"Alright kids, who's ready for presents?" Curtis asked his grandchildren some time later when the sun had started to set. The little kids who had started to fall asleep from the combination of the good food and excitement were suddenly wide awake again. Sam and the older boys got up to hand out the gifts to their cousins from the adults that were under the Christmas tree. After they were all handed out, he noticed that his family had even included Mikaela in their gift giving and shot his aunts, uncles, and grandparents a grateful smile for their thoughtfulness. She had an almost embarrassed grin on her face, unable to say a word, but her appreciation and thanks were communicated through her eyes. Tenderly, he took her hand in his when he sat down on the arm of the chair next to her.

As always, they started with the youngest first. Rather than going around in a circle with each of them opening one present at a time, they had decided a few years before to let one kid open all of their gifts before moving on to the next. Each of them had six gifts: one from their five sets of aunt and uncles and one from their grandparents. It was a good 45 minutes before it was finally Sam's turn since he was the third oldest out of 16 cousins. His Uncle James and Aunt Renee got him The Ghost and Mr. Chicken on DVD since they knew it was one of his favorite movies of all time and remembered that he and Jacob used to watch it all the time before DVD players became popular. From other aunts and uncles he received the latest football and baseball games for his Xbox and gift cards to Hollister and various other clothing stores. His grandparents gave him Gone in 60 Seconds, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Taken, Gridiron Gang, and the Fast & the Furious collection all on Blu-Ray. They were some of his favorite movies and he was excited to see what the action movies would look like on his new TV.

Mikaela was absolutely blown away that his aunts and uncles and grandparents had included her in their gift giving. It was, after all, only the second time they had met her. She looked each couple in the eye after opening her gift from them, hoping that they could see in her eyes everything that her heartfelt "thank you" couldn't portray. Dale and Jody also got her a gift card to Hollister. After hearing about how much of a movie buff their nephew and his girlfriend both were, Ron's brother Danny and sister Allie that they and their spouses, Brooke and Todd, had decided to give the young woman a surround system as a joint gift from both couples. The youngest of Ron's siblings, Haley, and her husband Ryan got Mikaela a gift card to American Eagle. The last gift from the siblings was all four books of the Twilight series from Ron's older brother James and his wife Renee, who had used Jacob and Sam's closeness to find out what to get their nephew's girlfriend for Christmas. Julianne and Curtis's gift was easily the most personal of them all. At her mother in law's request, Judy had given Julianne copies of several pictures of the young couple and a scrapbook had been made. Quotes from Mikaela's favorite romance movies, Casablanca and The Notebook the two most dominant, were scrawled on each page and surrounded with photographs. Seeing this, tears immediately clouded Mikaela's eyes and she gave her boyfriend's grandparents an emotional hug before thanking the family profusely one more time. Sam also hugged his grandparents, deeply touched by their gift as well.

Wrapping paper was cleaned up and thrown into a large empty box and then everyone went their separate ways to grab their Secret Santa gifts before meeting back in the living room a few minutes later. Mikaela took her same seat, but sat back and watched as the family that so easily adopted her as a permanent part of their lives after meeting her only once traded gifts. Sam had drawn Kyler's name at Thanksgiving and bought his cousin a LA Dodgers t-shirt and baseball cap. Judy got Weston, Allie and Todd's four-year-old son, a Hot Wheels race track and two packages of Hot Wheels cars. Ron drew Danny and bought him a new barbeque set, knowing how much his oldest brother loved cooking out on the grill. The youngest of the cousins, Jamie, was Sam's Secret Santa and had, with the help of his mom Haley, made him an adorable little pot. Haley's love of pottery was well known among the family, and it was already in the three-year-old's blood. Mikaela's heart swelled at the way Sam acted like the colorful pot was the greatest gift he'd ever received and the resulting ear to ear grin on the little boys face after hearing that. She kissed his cheek when he reclaimed his seat on the arm of the chair and he joined her in watching the interactions. Luke had gotten Judy and, after advice from Sam, bought her a couple of cookbooks that she had been wanting. Curtis was his son's Secret Santa this year and gave him some landscaping books along with a few tools.

Ron, Judy, Sam, and Mikaela left not long after the gift giving was over. It was already after six, they had an hour and a half drive home, and the two teenagers were exhausted and slowly starting to crash. Sam carried Mikaela's sleeping form up to his room when they got home before helping his dad carry in all of the gifts from the back of the Expedition. He wished his parents good night before traipsing up to his room, unbuckling his belt and taking off his shirt as he made his way up the stairs. Just inside the door, Sam kicked off his shoes before changing into a pair of pajama pants and grabbing a tank top and shorts for Mikaela.

"Hi," She smiled sleepily when he pulled her into a sitting position. Mikaela lifted her arms so he could take her shirt off and slide the tank top on. Sam crawled in next to her after her shorts were pulled all the way up.

"Hi baby," A kiss was pressed to her temple and she scooted closer to his body.

"It's not even nine yet," Mikaela laughed softly. "And we're exhausted. Sammy, we're turning into an old married couple and I'm not even legally old enough to drink!"

"'Kaela, we're tired because we only got a few hours of sleep because we stayed up all night having sex and then we had to spend the whole day with my family pretending we weren't exhausted. That's _definitely_ not old married couple," Sam shook his head and smiled as he finished his last statement.

"Good point," She tilted her head up and kissed him. "I love you baby."

"I love you too," Sam wrapped his arms tighter around Mikaela and listened to the sound of her breathing slow before he drifted off to sleep.

***************

Mikaela and Sam left on the 29th to head back to the East Coast so they could make it to the New Year's party on the base in New Jersey. They picked Leo and Christian up from the airport in Amarillo, where they flew in from Houston, so the four of them could all go to the party together. The quartet was excited for their cross country road trip. It was just them, no games and no drama. Memories would be made on this trip they would carry with them the rest of their lives and reminisce about when they were older. All they had to worry about was whether or not they wanted to stop for the night and sleep in a hotel and where they were going to eat next. Other than that, they could let go of their inhibitions and just..._be. _

Sam had decided he was never going on a road trip with Christian and Mikaela ever again. If he had to listen to them belting out *NSYNC or Britney Spears for another six hours he was going to lose his mind.

The first hour hadn't been so bad but by now they had gone through every CD the two artists had ever made. Twice. He felt like he could sing along and not mess up a line. There wasn't even the option of tuning them out by talking to Leo because the jackass had been asleep for the last four hours. It blew Sam's mind that he was able to sleep through the girls singing and not be jarred awake once.

"Mikaela baby I love you but can we please listen to something else? Anything else I don't care," Sam begged.

"Aww but Sammy," She pouted and stuck out her bottom lip knowing Sam couldn't refuse her. "We're having so much fun!" He shook his head and sighed in defeat.

"Fine have your fun. But you so owe me," Mikaela happily smiled at him and kissed his cheek.

Again Sam shook his head but didn't say a word as Circus by Britney Spears started to play. He knew there was really no way he could deny his girlfriend her fun. It had been a while since she had had that carefree smile on her face. Mikaela deserved to let loose and be silly after all she had been through in the last month. He was proud of the way she'd kept her head up and stayed strong throughout everything that had been thrown at her.

Once they got closer to Philadelphia, Mikaela begged Sam to stop by the house so she could see her new car. He'd been keeping it at Andy's house and after they left Andy had taken it to their house and put it in the garage for him. Of course, once she saw it she wanted to drive it. Sam couldn't tell his girlfriend no when she had that excited look on her face, and when they got to New Jersey they arrived in two separate cars. Leo and Christian had taken Bee, who had finally let Leo drive only because the Autobot had known Mikaela's excitement through his scans of his charges.

"What the hell is this?" Will Lennox asked when he saw the second car.

"Will!" Mikaela jumped out of the driver's seat and ran to give him a big hug.

"Sugar Bear!" He picked her up and spun her around. "Hey Sam."

"Good to see you, Will," Sam greeted.

"What the hell is this?" Will repeated after he'd set Mikaela down.

"It's my new car," Mikaela said. "Sam gave it to me for Christmas."

"Damn boy," Will laughed. "You're putting the rest of us to shame!"

"Will, man, it's been a while," Leo joined them and shook the older man's hand.

"Hey Leo," Will finally noticed Christian. "And who is this?"

"This is Christian, my best friend and Leo's girlfriend," Mikaela introduced. "Don't worry, Will. She knows about the big boys."

Will took them around the hangar where the party was, introducing them to anyone they hadn't already met and catching up with the ones they did know. Secretary Keller hadn't arrived yet, and Sam would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous to see the man. The last time they had spoken, they'd just gotten kicked out of the dorm rooms and Keller had been pissed. Maggie and Glen were glad to see them, and Will had to wait on them as they stopped to chat with the other two. Maggie and Glen were both working for the government thanks to all the help they'd been when the Decepticons had hacked the national system before they blew up Mission City. Sam gave them an edited version of the more recent fight in Egypt since they hadn't been involved. Promising to catch up more later that night, Sam and the others moved on to see Robert Epps and his wife. Mikaela heard him say they were expecting their third child, and as a result everyone present took a shot of some kind of liquor to congratulate them since there was no champagne available.

Epps and Will disappeared to the grill a while later. It was blatantly obvious that everyone involved, aside from Epps's wife, would drink way too much alcohol that night so they were grilling hamburgers and hot dogs to make sure they all ate enough to absorb some of the alcohol and keep people from trying to get drunk on an empty stomach. Sam, Mikaela, Christian, and Leo stood by the entrance of the hangar occasionally talking to their two friends while the cooked.

"Don't get too drunk tonight," Sam's breath caught at the sultry smile on Mikaela's face. "We've got a new backseat to break in."

"Ms. Banes, is that really proper language for a young lady such as yourself?" She immediately reddened when they heard the voice behind them. They turned to see Secretary Keller standing behind them.

"Secretary Keller...I...uh...well...um..." Mikaela sputtered before pivoting and quickly ran off to hide behind Christian.

"Am I going to have to keep an eye on the two of you tonight?" Sam saw the twinkle in the older man's eye and knew he was teasing. It was a rare sight to see the Secretary of Defense so relaxed and easygoing.

"As you wish, sir, but you may not want to," Sam quipped and they laughed when Mikaela hissed his name from her hiding place.

"Mr. Witwicky, may I speak to you for a moment?" Keller was instantly back in his more formal role. "This will only take a second, and then we can get back to the party." The two men moved a few feet away from where everyone else was standing.

"Is there something wrong, sir?"

"On the contrary, this is a happier conversation than the last time we spoke," Keller reached into his jacket pocket and handed the younger man a check.

"I don't understand," Sam said in confusion.

"That is for the rent and utilities you have paid since moving into the house. It was never intended for the four of you to support yourselves. That was more for the dean's benefit. I wanted to see how you all would respond to the evictions before I decided whether or not to reimburse you. I have to say, Mr. Witwicky, I am impressed by your resiliency."

"Thank you, sir," He said slightly embarrassed.

"As long as you are in college, you are welcome to live in that house for however long you like. I will personally cover any essential utilities. Satellite, internet, telephone, or anything of the like, you will be responsible for."

"Thank you very much, Secretary Keller. I don't even know what to say."

"No, Sam, thank you. Consider it a late Christmas present. For what you've done for your country, it's the least I can do," Keller smiled conspiratorially. "Besides, I know the homeowner. He's more than willing to allow me to help you."

Sam shook Keller's hand and they went their separate ways. Mikaela hit Sam in the chest for his lewd comment to the older man, and then he recounted the conversation they had just had. Predictably, the other three were just as shocked as Sam was to hear of Secretary Keller's generosity. It wasn't every day that four college students got to live in a rather nice house rent free.

Will snuck away from the grill long enough to tell Mikaela that the rest of the Autobots would be back in an hour or so. Once Will went back to the grill, Mikaela, Christian, and Maggie resumed their conversation about fashion and hot male celebrities. The guys quickly tuned them out once the squealing started and debated over the upcoming NFL playoffs and how they thought their team would do. Leo couldn't help ragging on Glen for his Washington Redskins' poor season while his beloved Dallas Cowboys had won their division easily.

The food was finally ready, and they all laughed at the amount of food Sam put on his plate. Mikaela again subtly reminded him not to get too drunk, to which he replied that it was for stamina and not to absorb the alcohol. Her eyes blazed with desire and he wanted to take her right then, but instead moved back a few feet to gather his thoughts. A smirk appeared on her face when she realized her effect on him, but didn't push it any further.

Back at the table, they joined in on the lighthearted conversation and teasing banter that only existed between close friends. Even though they hadn't seen Maggie or Glen since Mission City, once they were all together it was as if they'd never been separated for any length of time. The battle had forged a tight bond between the four of them that stood the test of time. Mikaela and Maggie talked about how much they wanted to keep in touch now that they'd seen each other again, and traded cell phone numbers because they knew they would forget once the alcohol started flowing.

Christian sat back and watched the way her roommates interacted with everyone. There was a calmness about them she hadn't seen before, and knew it had to do with the way they were able to let their guard down here. Despite the openness of the second battle, what with the worldwide hacking and all, it was still all considered classified and as such, the other three had to be careful of what they said. A big part of Sam and Mikaela's lives had to be kept secret, and also Leo too. To see them be able to talk freely about the Autobots, whom she had yet to meet aside from Sam's car Bumblebee, was an interesting sight. Even their faces were more relaxed, and the childish look on Leo's face was adorable. For as much as he talked to anyone and everyone, it was hard for him to keep a secret and yet he was forced to with this.

They all finished eating, and heard the roar of the engines of a group of several different cars. Instantly, Sam and Mikaela were on their feet and waiting for the other four to join them. Maggie and Glen were a lot like Christian in that they were nervous about meeting the big boys. The only one they'd really ever had to deal with before was Bee. Mikaela was the first outside, and soon joined by the other five of them. They waited to approach them until the Autobots transformed out of their car modes.

"Ratchet!" Aside from Bee, she had always felt closest the mechanic of the Autobots.

"Hello, Mikaela," Ratchet bent down and reached his long metal fingers out to her to hug. "How have you been?"

"It has been good," She answered. "Staying busy with school, that's for sure."

Her attentions turned to Ironhide, who kept playing with his cannons, and chatted with him for a moment. Sam was talking to Optimus from the hand the leader of the Autobots had lowered to raise him up to his chest. Christian and Leo were talking to the twins and from what Mikaela could see of Christian's amused face and Leo's annoyed one, the twins must be making fun of him just like they did in Egypt. From Ironhide, she made her way to Optimus who picked her up in the same hand that held Sam and she curled into her boyfriend's chest. Maggie and Glen took her place talking to Ratchet, and poor Glen looked like he wanted to faint. He still couldn't get used to the existence of the Autobots. It was too comic book fantasy for him.

They all made their way in a circle, taking time to talk to each bot individually. Before long, everyone had formed a circle and were talking about everything and nothing all at once. The humans wanted to know what their Autobot friends had been doing for the last five months, and the bots wanted to know how the fleshlings were handling school or their jobs. The group was an interesting one: the two gorgeous model types, Mikaela and Christian, the dorky boy, Sam, the sci-fi fanatic, Leo, the stunning hacker, Maggie, and the geeky hacker, Glen. Oh, and don't forget the robots either. It didn't matter the paths of life each person had come from, there was a bond between the six of them that couldn't be broken.

"Primus, Mikaela's pheromone levels are off the chart," Ratchet piped up during a lull in the conversation. "They spike every time the boy touches her." Both Mikaela and Sam reddened considerably at the medic's revelation. The four others laughed hysterically at their embarrassment. They had all heard the story of the first meeting between the two teenagers and the Autobots, but it paled in comparison to actually seeing it happen firsthand.

"Ratchet, do you always have to do that?" Sam exasperatedly asked.

"I am trained to warn of abnormalities when I do a health scan."

"I assure you, it is no abnormality," Christian supplied and was rewarded with a dirty look from Mikaela. "What? Everyone here knows you two shag like rabbits. It's written all over your face."

"And when I get that feeling, I want sexual healing," The voice of Marvin Gaye flowed through Bumblebee's speakers.

"Damn it, Bee, do you have to egg them on?" A new round of laughter sounded at Mikaela's embarrassed tone. Bumblebee smiled in that way only a robot could.

Fortunately, nobody poked fun at Sam or Mikaela anymore after that. The party was full swing inside, and they soon joined the rest of their friends inside. Seeing Secretary Keller with a beer was a shock initially, but they'd learned by then not to be surprised by anything that man did. Just when they had him figured out, he threw them a curveball and they had to start all over again.

Somebody had a football and, as per usual with a bunch of guys, there was soon a fierce six-on-six game in progress. Mikaela knew if Ratchet scanned her now he would throw a fit at her pheromone levels. Watching Sam play football and getting all sweaty was an insane turn on. It wasn't something he did that often so it was a thrill to see. Christian kept giving her knowing looks from the chair she was sitting in next to her.

"Hell, Mik, you're such a horn ball," Christian laughed. "You want him so bad I can hear your thoughts."

"Do me a favor, Chris," Mikaela smiled evilly. "Keep everyone away from the car. And don't let Ratchet do any more scans!" She waited for the guys to stop playing momentarily before she grabbed Sam by the sleeve of his t-shirt and told the others to find someone to replace him.

"I didn't do it!" He exclaimed thinking he was in trouble for something.

"That's why you have a guilty conscience?" She waited until they were around the side of the building where the cars were before she pushed him up against the wall and pressed her lips to his. His mouth enthusiastically responded and she felt him tremble when her tongue sensually slid across his bottom lip.

"I'm all for making out with you," He smiled sheepishly. "But what brought this on?"

"I want you," Mikaela leaned in and kissed him one more time before dragging him off in the direction of her Camaro.

"Now?" Sam's voice cracked and she would've laughed if she wasn't so preoccupied with getting him in the damn car.

"It's dark. Nobody will come to the car," She looked back at him wickedly when she stopped at the door to unlock it. "And you know you want it."

"You realize everybody knows why you dragged me away?"

"I don't give a damn," Mikaela shrugged and unceremoniously pushed him into the backseat.

"Ooh, I like it when you're rough," Sam wasn't kidding if the bulge in his pants was any indication.

The door was barely shut before she was on his lap trying to undo his belt. When it became clear she was too impatient to slow down, he pushed her hands out of the way and undid his belt. He stopped her before she pulled his pants and boxers to his knees so he could get the condom from his wallet and slide it on while she yanked his pants down. At least she was wearing a skirt. That part made it easier. It was when he slid his hand up the inside of her leg and realized that she wasn't wearing any underwear that he knew this had been planned.

Mikaela wasted no time in hiking her skirt up just enough that she could lower herself onto him and he hissed at the quickness. The last time they'd made love, Christmas Eve night, had been both slow and fast but not this rushed. It was like she thought she'd die if she didn't have him right then. He hadn't been lying when he said he liked her roughness. There was nothing Sam liked more than her taking complete control the way she was now. All he had to do was hold onto her hips and let her do the rest.

One look in his eyes that were alight with want and need had her lips crashing down on his almost painfully. Mikaela grabbed his lip with her teeth to make him part his lips and her tongue greedily found its way into his mouth. Sam could feel in her kiss that she was so turned on there was no way this would last long. He kissed back with just as much fervor and felt her moan. Her hands found the top of the seat and held on as she began to move faster on top of him.

"Mikaela," He rasped. The sound of his voice traveled down to her core. She felt him begin to move against her and threw her head back in pleasure. Moonlight shone inside the car and lit her face up in such a way when she tilted her head that Sam almost lost it. Lips instantly attacked her neck, drawing those sexy little mewls from deep in her throat that drove him insane.

"Oh, Sam," Mikaela let go of the seat with one of her hands to weave her fingers through his hair and tug just enough that he growled against the sensitive skin on her neck. His own pace increased just as she felt her orgasm overtake her and her walls tightened around him. She continued to ride him until his muscles tensed and he let out a guttural moan signaling his own release. Still she rocked against his hips until both of them went limp and she fell against his chest.

"I can't believe we just did that," Sam said huskily.

"Couldn't help myself," Mikaela smiled tiredly and kissed him one more time.

"We need to get back," Not that he wanted to leave the position they were in, but better to leave now than have someone come looking for them. She leaned over the center console to get some tissues along with a thong, further reinforcing that she'd had this all planned out. While he cleaned himself off and took off the condom, she slipped the skimpy underwear on and readjusted her shirt. His pants were soon back up to his waist and buckled, and they both stepped out of the car. Knowing grins were on the faces of everyone at the party when they went back around the side of the building.

"So much for keeping an eye on the two of you," Secretary Keller rolled his eyes in mock exasperation and caused the whole party to go into an uproar.

"In all fairness, I did say you probably wouldn't want to," Sam joked.

"Samuel James Witwicky, I know I raised you better than to talk about your sex life with the Secretary of Defense of all people!" Judy spoke from behind the couple.

"Uh..h-hi mom," Sam smiled sheepishly. He could see Mikaela try to slink away out of the corner of his eye and slid his arm around her waist. If he had to go through this awkward conversation, she was going to stand by his hide and suffer through it as well. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Will called. Said we should come to the party too," He caught his mom's knowing look. Mikaela's head was still buried in his shoulder from embarrassment and he was relieved that she missed the look.

Since the guys were done with their football game and it was dark out, the party migrated inside the building where someone had hooked up a stereo and set up a makeshift dance floor which was just a big square area blocked off by four chairs with a rope tied through them. Christian and Mikaela shared a smile and pulled both of their boyfriends to the dance floor when a popular top 40 song started playing. He pulled her back to his chest and their fluid movements took over any thoughts they may have had. So in tune with each other were they that there was no need to wonder what the other was thinking. Sam always knew when she was going to grind her ass against his crotch like she was doing right then and Mikaela could always tell when he was about to lift one hand to the hair on the back of his head and then cover her other hand with his own and run it down her chest through her breasts to rest on her hip. She turned so they were standing chest to chest and slid down until her ass almost touched the floor and then lifted herself back up just as slowly.

When the song was over, neither of them moved for several minutes while they waited for their racing hearts to slow down. Sam knew if they kept at it like this he would be the one dragging her to the car. Epps came up to them seconds later and asked Mikaela to dance since they hadn't had much of a chance to talk to each other one on one and catch up. Sam handed his girlfriend off to the Master Sergeant and kissed her cheek before going off in search of Will.

Mikaela was happy to spend time with Epps. He was a great guy and always made her laugh. She wished his two kids were there because his little boy and little girl were the most adorable kids she'd ever seen. If there was one boy she'd dance with all night, it would be his little boy, Adrian. He was telling her all about them and the hilarious things only kids could do. She was listening intently, loving the cute stories, until she saw Sam walk back in the hangar to where he and Will had been standing. She hadn't even realized he had left. Intrigued, she watched them talk among themselves. Whatever they were talking about must have been something important nobody else was meant to know because they were standing far away from anyone else and close enough to each other that it was obvious they were talking softly to keep from being overheard. Sam handed something to Will, but she couldn't tell what it was because they were careful to keep it hidden. They tried not to be obvious about glancing over at her, but she was watching them intently and noticed every time they did.

"Go on, girl," Epps laughed when the song was over. "Go back to your man. I know you haven't heard a word I've said in the last few minutes." Mikaela smiled apologetically before walking over to her boyfriend and Will.

"Hey baby," She snuck up behind Sam and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Maggie, I told you not here. Mikaela might see," Will's eyes bugged at Sam's annoyed tone and the look accompanying shocked look on Mikaela's face. Sam turned around and caught his girlfriend's eyes before a crooked grin appeared on his face. "Don't look at me like that, 'Kaela. You know I love you."

"You jerk," She laughed and pecked him on the lips. "What are you boys talking about?"

"School," Sam said at the same time Will said "football." They looked at each other trying to silently communicate what they were supposed to say.

"Both of you are horrible liars."

"It's just guy stuff, Mikaela," Will finally answered. She didn't believe him, but knew she wasn't going to get a better answer from either of them. "Come dance with me, Sugar Bear. It's not much longer until midnight and then you can be with your boyfriend."

They stopped to talk to his wife on the way to the dance floor while they waited for the fast song that was currently playing to end. Mikaela hadn't yet talked to Sarah that night, and they soon got carried away with all the things girls talk about. Will joked that if they didn't hurry up he would be the one kissing Mikaela at midnight, a tactic he knew would get them to stop talking.

"How are you doing, Mikaela?" She didn't like the serious tone of his voice. "Sam told me everything that's happened since Thanksgiving."

"I'm doing okay. Sam's been amazing through it all."

"You should've called me after the party. I would've taken care of it."

"I know, Will, but I just wanted to forget about it."

"That bastard should've gotten far worse than just his ass kicked."

"Will, it's okay. Really. Sam stopped him before anything happened."

"Just promise me you'll be more careful," The look in his eyes was pleading. "I know it wasn't your fault, but still."

"I promise, Will," Mikaela felt him look over her shoulder.

"You know he hasn't taken his eyes off you the whole time we've been over here," He laughed at the shy smile on her face and turned their bodies so she could see for herself. The song soon ended and Will led her by the hand back to where Sam was standing and Sarah came and joined them as well. The two women picked up where there earlier conversation left off.

Twenty minutes later, Epps shouted over the music that there was only ten minutes left before midnight and ordered everyone to come closer. A tight circle formed and red and blue jell-o shots were passed around. Mikaela was curious when Sam refused his, but didn't say a word. She thought back over the night, and knew he'd only had one or two beers early on but nothing except water since. He shrugged when she looked at him, but wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. Everyone but him raised their shots in the air and said a cheer for a happy New Year before tossing them back. Again she saw something pass between them, this time from Will back to Sam, but she still couldn't tell what it was.

Anticipation hung in the air as the clock ticked closer to midnight. One of Will's guys had finally turned on the TV they'd brought in and hooked up so they could watch the ball drop. Mikaela clung to Sam's stomach as they watched. Her favorite part about New Year's was getting to kiss Sam. The fact that they had run off to have sex earlier didn't even matter. She was ringing in the new year by kissing the man of her dreams. What could possibly be better than that? Sam pulled her in closer to him when the clock hit 11:59. He played with her hair as they both stood there waiting.

Sam tenderly held Mikaela's face in his hands as all of their friends began to count down the final ten seconds.

"10..."

"9..."

"8..."

"7..."

"6..."

"5..."

Sam looked down into the bright blue eyes that made him melt every time.

"4..."

Mikaela stepped forward so there was less than an inch between their bodies.

"3..."

He brushed a lock of hair from her face.

"2..."

She smiled lovingly up at him.

"1..."

He dropped to one knee.

All around them people were shouting "Happy New Year's!" and couples were sharing their first kiss of the new year, but all Mikaela could focus on was Sam reaching for her hand. She gasped when she realized _this was really happening_. Everyone turned to see what was going on, but all the couple saw was each other.

"You're my first everything. My first crush when I was seven. My first girlfriend. My first kiss. My first time. My first love. Mikaela baby, I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone. These two and a half years with you have been the best of my life. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, start a family, and grow old together," Sam pulled a velvet box from his pocket and opened it to show her the most gorgeous ring she'd ever seen. "You've been my first everything, and now I'm asking you to be my last. Mikaela, will you marry me?"

"Oh my God Sam," Tears fell down her cheeks from his proposal. "Yes, you doofus, yes!" Sam slipped the ring on her finger before getting back up and giving her the biggest smile she'd ever seen on his face. Her arms flew around his neck and she tilted her head up to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and twirled them around.

"I love you," He pressed a quick kiss to her lips after each word and finally set her back down.

"I love you too," The need to touch him overcame her with such force it almost knocked her to her knees. Her fingers found his face and trailed over every inch of it.

It was then they heard the cheers and the clapping that surrounded them. Mikaela saw Christian's face first, then Leo's, then Epps's, and finally Will's. Everyone else faded in around them. There were looks of surprise and happiness on each face with the exception of Will. His face glowed with happiness for the woman he considered his little sister.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Will spoke up in that commanding voice he had. "Allow me to introduce to you the future Mr. and Mrs. Sam Witwicky." He reached under one of the tables and brought out two bottles of champagne that had been stored on ice and hidden from view. Before long, glasses of champagne were raised in the air as everyone congratulated the couple on their engagement.

"You knew, didn't you?" Mikaela sidled up next to Will and Sarah.

"Yep," Will answered. "Sam told me what he was planning when he called last week to let me know you guys would be here."

"That's why he wanted to be the one to call," She winked at Sam who was watching her from where he stood talking to Secretary Keller.

"Mikaela!" Christian tackled her in a big hug. "Oh my God, Mik! Congratulations!"

"Thanks Chris," She hugged her best friend back with just as much force. Christian grabbed her hand to look at the ring and whistled. The ring itself was simple but gorgeous, and exactly what Mikaela had always dreamed her engagement ring would look like. It had a single 1/4 carat diamond with ten smaller diamonds set into the band itself, five on each side of the center stone.

"Wow, he really nailed it didn't he?" Both girls had spent many a night talking about their dream wedding, thus Christian knowing exactly what Mikaela wanted.

"That's my baby," She gave her friend one more hug. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've been away from him long enough." Sam's eyes lit up when Mikaela came back to him. Without pausing in what he was saying, her body soon melded to his and her head rested against his shoulder.

"Sammy, I'm so proud of you!" His mom ran up to them and Mikaela was just barely able to jump out of the way before Judy wrapped her son in a tight hug.

"Thanks mom," Sam kissed her on the cheek and then gave his dad a hug when Judy moved to Mikaela.

"Will called us, and told us you were planning to propose," Judy smacked her son on the chest. "You didn't think it was important to tell us?"

"I'm sorry. I was so busy trying to think of the perfect way to ask her. I meant to ask you and then I completely forgot."

"I figured you would, that's why I called," Will joined their little circle. "I remember what I was like when I was about to propose to Sarah, and thought you might be the same way."

They talked with Will and his parents for a little longer until the adults decided to give Sam and Mikaela time alone. The effort was futile, however, because they weren't alone for very long. Mikaela played with the collar of his shirt while he talked to Eric and Joe, a couple of guys on base with Will, about the pros of having a robot for a car. They couldn't imagine the advantages of having a car that never had to be worked on and didn't need gas. Sam managed to share a few of the downsides of a car that had a mind of its own. The incident when Bee had played the wrong type of love song when he asked Mikaela to dance came to mind, and the guys laughed uproariously when Sam shared the story.

Soon the guys congratulated the happy couple and stepped away to let them finally be alone. Sam told her to go talk to Christian again for a second before excusing himself and jogging out to the car. Mikaela stared after him in confusion, but went back to where Christian and Leo were sitting anyway. She shrugged her shoulders when Leo asked where Sam ran off to, but didn't say a word. Leo turned back to his girlfriend and they went back to talking about whatever they had been before she'd momentarily interrupted them.

Sam came back a couple minutes later and pulled Mikaela to the now empty dance floor. He stopped to put the CD he'd gotten from her car in the stereo and then led her to the center of the floor. The chords of a song she'd never heard before flowed from the speakers as he put his hands on her waist.

_I've seen the storm clouds in your past_

_But rest assured, 'cause you are safe at home at last_

_I rescued you, you rescued me_

_And we're right where we should be when we're together_

Mikaela swayed along with him as he softly sang the words to her. The pure emotion in his eyes was enough to make her knees weak, but his strong arms held her up.

_I know the questions in your mind_

_But go ahead and ask me one more time_

_You'll find the answer's still the same_

_It won't change from day to day for worse or better_

_Will I promise to be your best friend_

_And am I here until the end_

_Can I be sure I have been waiting for you_

_And did I say my love is true_

_Baby I will, I am, I can, I have, I do_

His eyes never wavered from hers as they dance. Sam still couldn't believe she had said yes. The times they had talked about it, Mikaela had always promised her answer was yes but it was always something they'd talked about as part of their future. Now it was their present, their _now_, and he still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that this beautiful, amazing, stunning woman wanted to marry him.

_I know the time will disappear_

_But this love we're building on will always be here_

_No way that this is sinking sand_

_On this solid rock we'll stand forever_

Mikaela had never been happier in her life than she was at that moment standing in his arms. The whole night she'd been looking forward to kissing him at midnight, and she'd never imagined that instead of kissing him he'd be down on one knee asking her to spend forever with him.

"You know, you're wearing your lucky boxers," Mikaela teased as the song ended.

"I needed all the luck I could get," Sam grinned sheepishly.

"Baby, you didn't need luck," She stood on her tip toes to peck his lips. "You had my heart."

"And you have mine," He looked into her eyes. "Forever."


	25. Chapter 25

**First off, I am so completely, totally, absolutely (and every other word) sorry it has taken me soooo long to update. For the first time since I started writing this story, I was stuck with no idea where to go. I never thought it would take me three months to finish a chapter when it took me basically less than three months to write everything before. It seems like every time I sat down to write with an idea, as soon as I opened Word I completely lost my train of thought and couldn't get it back. So many of you have asked when I'm going to update, or begged me not to stop with the last chapter, and I assure you that has not been my plan at all. I've got an idea for the next chapter and I've started to find my inspiration again, so hopefully it won't take me another three months to update again. I hope you guys like this chapter, and I hope you review all though it wouldn't surprise me if nobody did since I've made you all wait so long!!**

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The four friends soon found themselves loaded down with homework as the spring semester got underway. Barely a week in, and Mikaela already had a paper to write. What was she thinking taking a creative writing class? At least it was relatively easy compared to having to write a research paper over a topic she cared nothing about. Sam had to work that night, so she had decided to get a head start on it and thankfully she was just about through with it. Christian and Leo had gone to the bar with a couple of their friends, but Mikaela declined their invitation since she still wasn't ready to go out to a bar without Sam and be surrounded by a bunch of drunken, horny men. Not after what happened with Justin a few short weeks before.

"Hey baby, what're you doing?" Mikaela was so concentrated on her paper she hadn't even heard Sam come in.

"Creative writing paper," He kissed the top of her head and she turned to look at him. "What are you doing home so early?"

"It's 9:30," He looked at her funny. "Early shift, remember?"

"It's already that late?" Mikaela asked in shock. "Wow, I didn't even realize."

"Where are Leo and Christian?"

"They went to the Circus Room with Andy, Balie, Rachael, Colton, and some other people."

"You didn't go with them?"

"I didn't wanna go without you," She shrugged her shoulders as if it didn't matter.

"'Kaela baby, you could have gone. I wouldn't have cared if you went to the bar without me," Sam said completely missing the real reason why his girlfriend stayed home.

"No, it wasn't that," Mikaela moved from the desk chair to the spot next to him on the edge of the bed. "I didn't wanna be around all those drunk men."

"Well, do you wanna go?" He asked intently. "If you want to, we can go. I won't leave your side the whole time."

"It'd be nice to see everyone and hang out, but I know you're probably tired since you just got off work. We don't have to."

"No, it's okay," Sam put his fingers on her jaw and slowly turned her face to look at him and softly kissed her. "We don't have class until tomorrow afternoon. Let's go hang out with everyone."

"Then come on, Sammy. We need to take a shower," Mikaela smiled mischievously before pulling him to the bathroom.

Sounds of laughter and affectionate teasing could be heard over the running of the water. She hadn't made the suggestion to shower together out of a sexual nature but more to save time than anything. Of course with Sam being Sam, there was only so much of a naked Mikaela with water sluicing over her body before he couldn't take it any longer and had her pinned up against the wall with her legs wrapped his waist.

"God, Sam, it's like you're 15 again," Mikaela laughed a while later after she'd caught her breath.

"I didn't see you complaining," Sam smirked as he helped her regain her balance.

"Cocky jackass," She rolled her eyes.

Not much longer after that, the water began to turn cold. Sam turned it off and handed each of them a towel to dry off. Mikaela wrapped a towel around her wet hair before disappearing into their bedroom to find a tank top and shorts to change into while she got ready. Sam, knowing it would take his fiancé three times as long to get ready, threw on boxers and a pair of sweats and rolled the desk chair to the bathroom doorway so he could watch her get ready. It always amazed him the lengths she went to in order to make herself look good when he thought she was gorgeous even without it all, but that's not to say he didn't appreciate all her hard work.

It used to make Mikaela uncomfortable when Sam would watch her get ready, but she had long since gotten used to it. She finally realized it was just him wanting to be around her, one of those cute little things she loved so much about him. His eyes never left her as she started to blow dry her hair. They were both quiet while she dried it and then began to style it. Mikaela put some kind of hair product--Sam had no idea exactly what it was--in her hair, and then used her hands to get it exactly how she wanted it. When she was satisfied with the way it looked, she turned to look at Sam for his opinion.

"Mikaela, you know I think you look amazing no matter what," She gave him a look saying that wasn't what she wanted to hear so he continued. "But it looks good. I love your hair like that."

"Thanks baby," Mikaela smiled sweetly and walked over to his chair and gave him a quick kiss. "Now I gotta figure out what to wear."

Sam's eyes followed the back of her figure as she sauntered to their closet in search of the perfect outfit. Mikaela flipped through her clothes, occasionally pulling a shirt out and holding it up to her chest and checking it out in the mirror. After the fifth or sixth time, Sam shook his head smiling before walking over to her and pulled an outfit out.

"Wear this," He said. Mikaela looked at him in surprise before holding it up in front of the mirror.

"How is it that I go through six shirts without finding one I like and yet you reach in and pull out the perfect outfit," She wondered still staring at the faded tight holy jeans and the low cut red long sleeved shirt that had a rhinestone circular design.

"Baby, the only person that spends more time looking at you than you is me," Sam smirked when she rolled her eyes. "Besides, I've seen you in everything you own. I know what looks good."

Mikaela dressed up in the clothes Sam picked out before going back to the bathroom to put on her make up. Halfway through, he decided it was time for him to get ready. At their closet, he pulled out his own pair of jeans and a tight fitting American Eagle t-shirt. The same boots he had worn to his grandparents' at Christmas were grabbed from the bottom of their closet and thrown on to complete the look. Mikaela was just about done when he went to their bathroom to put some gel in his hair and style it the way he knew she liked it.

At the bar they quickly found all of their friends at their usual table on the back wall. The Circus Room was a little hole in the wall bar they frequented often. Most of the time the bartenders had no problem serving them alcohol without an ID, but it just depended on how busy it was.

"I was hoping you two would show up!" Christian exclaimed when she saw the couple. "Wow, Mik, you look great!"

"Thanks Chris. You look hot too," The two friends hugged before everyone scooted over to make room for the two new chairs Sam pulled up.

Colton and Tyler were playing pool against some guys Mikaela had never seen before. Those two were so friendly they probably just saw the guys after getting to the bar and randomly struck up a conversation with them. That's just how they were. It wouldn't surprise anyone if the new guys seamlessly fell into their group of friends. Andy and Balie were out on the small dance floor dancing to some top 40 song. Everyone else--Tate, Reaghan, Carrie, Leo, Christian, and a few others--were sitting around the table. Reaghan introduced them to the friends she had brought with her. Brandon had an almost intimidating air about him, but at the same time it was easy to see he was one of the sweetest guys in the world. Mikaela had to admit that he was very attractive with his gorgeous grayish blue eyes and his short cropped mohawk. Then there was Erin, a cheerleader, who was very nice. Mikaela initially thought she seemed stuck up, but was quickly proven wrong. She watched as Sam couldn't help but check her out and then give her a guilty grin when he realized he'd been caught.

"Sam, you're such a pig," She teased and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek to let him know she wasn't really mad at him.

"Baby, she couldn't hold a candle to you," He insisted.

"He's right, you know," Tate spoke up from next to them.

"Aww, thanks Tater, you're so sweet," Mikaela leaned the opposite way and kissed his cheek too.

"Back off my woman," Sam joked, but knew the other man wasn't a threat. If there was one man, aside from Leo, Sam trusted with Mikaela, it was Tate.

"Don't worry, Witwicky, your woman is too high maintenance for me," Tate quipped and ducked out of the way of Mikaela's slap.

"Hey!" She cried indignantly and tried to slap at him again.

Sam just rolled his eyes and turned the other direction to talk to Leo and Brandon. They were arguing over the playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles the weekend before. Leo, being from Texas, couldn't help but gloat about his beloved Cowboys defeating their hated rivals and knocking them out of the playoffs. Sam didn't care either way since he was from California but he wasn't courageous, or stupid, enough to brag about the Cowboys beating the Eagles in Philadelphia. He didn't have the desire to get his ass kicked or die an early death.

"Baby, come dance with me," Mikaela didn't give him a chance to answer as she took his hand and dragged him to the dance floor. Their bodies melted together as they both moved to the beat of the song blaring out over the speakers.

"You know every man in here wants to beat my ass right now," Sam breathed into her ear.

"Well, honey, if you're feeling intimidated by all these little boys," She leaned in close enough to his ear her lips touched it when she talked. "We could always go somewhere...alone."

"Mmm, as good as that sounds, I'd rather rub it in that they're just not good enough," At this Sam turned her so her back was against his chest and placed one hand on her hip and the other just under her breasts. "No matter when we leave, you're still going home with me."

"Did Sam Witwicky seriously just turn down sex?" Mikaela laughed and ground her ass against his crotch.

"Oh, no baby. I didn't turn it down, I'm just postponing it. By the time we leave, you're going to be begging me to take you right here," To prove his point he dipped his head to her neck and began to kiss and nip at it.

"Sam, you're playing with fire," Mikaela's words came out in a half moan, half breathy tone.

They danced for a while longer, Sam taking every opportunity to tease his fiancé. They stopped dancing only when their throats were completely dry from the exertion. They made their way back to the now half empty table. Most of their friends had begun to leave, citing morning classes as the reason for their early departure. Christian, Leo, Brandon and Tate were the only ones that remained; Leo and Brandon were still arguing about the football game. Christian gave Mikaela a relieved look when they sat down next to her.

"Thank God you're back!" Christian cried dramatically. "I'm so tired of hearing about that damned football game!"

"Aww poor Chris," Mikaela mocked.

The two girls went off on their own conversation about shoes and clothes and the latest gossip among their friends. This is how it usually was when they all went out together. Mikaela and Christian could spend hours gossiping, usually at the expense of forgetting their boys were sitting right next to them. Many times Leo or Sam had teased them about it, but neither girl ever noticed it because they were so focused on each other.

Sam kept catching bits and pieces of what Christian and Mikaela were saying, but he was trying to focus on what the guys were talking about. Normally he was just as easily intense when talking about football as Leo and Tate seemed to be, but frankly he didn't give a damn about the rivalry between the Cowboys and the Eagles. He placed his hand on his fiancé's knee and was surprised when she covered his hand with her own and laced their fingers together. It wasn't that the fact that she grabbed his hand under the table, but more that she'd even felt the gesture and had the presence of mind to return it while Christian was blabbing away about Reaghan and whatever guy she'd gone home with that night. Sam could remember several times when he or Leo had spent close to ten minutes trying to get the girls' attention when they were in their zone. Mikaela waited until Christian finished what she was saying before turning to give Sam a kiss on the cheek and whispered that she loved him. Her body turned so that she could lean against his side and his arm could wrap around her stomach.

It couldn't have been more than five minutes later that the DJ started playing the Cupid Shuffle and Mikaela and Christian immediately took off towards the dance floor. Sam smirked as he saw every man's eyes in the club follow the two. In the beginning it bothered him that so many men blatantly ogled his then-girlfriend, but got over it once he accepted that Mikaela was going to get stared at because she was drop dead gorgeous and she was still going home with him each night.

Leo nudged Sam a little ways through the song and nodded his head towards their other two friends. He couldn't help but laugh at the mesmerized look on Tate and Brandon's faces as they watched the dance floor. There was probably a good 30 girls dancing, but it was obvious their girls stole the show. They both just moved with a fluidity that very few people had.

Sam caught Mikaela's eye and saw the smirk on her face and the mischievous glint in her eye. He made his way out to the dance floor where she and Christian were and jumped right in behind her. The dance had become so routine for them they could move together and throw in their own moves. It almost made Mikaela a tease: she knew guys couldn't look away and she would almost encourage their attraction, but then she would have Sam join in to show them they had no chance. He loved that moment when everyone in the room realized they were a serious couple. Every time they walked into a club, it became an unspoken challenge for every single guy in the room to be the one to hook up with her and take her home. Both of them fed into it until they got a chance to make it obvious to everyone in the room who was really taking her home. They thought the ring on her finger might make it clear she wasn't interested, but that only seemed to raise the stakes.

"Wanna go home with me?" Sam teased as the song ended.

"Mm, I don't know if my fiancé would like that so much," Mikaela replied spinning around and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"He doesn't have to know," She rolled her eyes at his remark.

"Sorry honey, you don't even compare to him," At this Mikaela turned to walk away. Sam waited until he could barely reach her hand before pulling her back to him.

"Think you're funny, do you?" He laughed before kissing her.

They rejoined their friends at the table for a little bit before Mikaela noticed how tired Sam looked and decided it was time to go. It was almost 1:30 in the morning, and he worked eight hours before basically coming home and immediately getting ready to go out without having a chance to rest and catch his breath. Of course, Sam being Sam wouldn't ask her if they could leave early because he was tired. He wanted Mikaela to have a good time, and wouldn't even think of cutting it short. At times she loved how he would put her above himself, but other times it drove her crazy. Their relationship wasn't just about making her happy and doing what she wanted. His happiness and what he wanted was just as important.

Not much later, the couple found themselves curled up in bed watching New Moon. To anyone else, Sam would swear he watched the Twilight saga movies just because Mikaela was in love with the series but the truth was that he liked them too. Even as much as he liked them, it didn't stop him from thinking it would be funny to bug Mikaela just as soon as she began to get tired and relaxed. At first he was simply tickling her sides occasionally, then decided to act even more childish. The next thing Mikaela knew, he was sticking his index finger in her ear, pinching her nose, covering her eyes, squeezing her cheeks together so she made a fish face, or something equally juvenile. Once he found out it was fairly amusing to him to squeeze her cheeks and pinch her nose at the same time, she decided she had had enough and looked up at him.

"What in the world do you want?" She asked half exasperated and half amused.

"A kiss," Sam smiled innocently and Mikaela rolled her eyes but kissed him anyway.

"You have got to be the biggest goofball I have ever met, Sam."

"And yet, you still agreed to marry me so when we're seventy and wrinkled and boring old people, you're still going to be dealing with me. If I'm the goofball, what does that make you?"

"Ah shit, is it too late to say no?" At his affronted look, Mikaela laughed and kissed him again. "I'm kidding baby. I hope to God you're still this childish when we're seventy and that I'm still around to put up with you."

"You sure you want to put up with me for that long?" Sam said it teasingly, but at the same time a small part of him needed to be reassured that she was serious about them and in it for the long haul.

"Absolutely," Mikaela understood that his need to be reassured wasn't from a lack of faith in their relationship, or even in her, but that he still fought with feelings of not being good enough. She knew this because she was the exact same way. "Get ready, Witwicky. It's you and me forever."

Sam didn't reply, but simply kissed her to show he felt the same. There were no words after that; just a boy and a girl so in love that even though there was no space between them, all they wanted was to be closer to their other half.


	26. Chapter 26

**So, on the bright side: it didn't take me 3 months to update this time! I actually wrote the majority of this in like the last week and a half. My inspiration is slowly coming back to me..and I'm sure that's good news to you all! I have to be honest and say that I know I said at the beginning of the last chapter that I had an idea for this one, but I can't even remember what that idea was. It could be what actually got written, or it could be something totally different. I don't really think it's what got written because this isn't what I expected to write AT ALL but it just kind of took off on its own and I went with it. That probably makes no sense to anyone but me, but it's 3:30 in the morning and I'm dead exhausted but I just had to finish it. **

**I hope y'all enjoy this chapter, and pleeeeease review!**

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It seemed time was flying by. Just yesterday, it felt like, school was just starting and they were just starting to get back into the routine of school and work after almost a month off at Christmas. Now it was the last day of class before spring break, and the two girls could hardly contain their excitement. They had decided to spend a week in Florida at Christian's aunt's beach house.

There were 10 of them going. Tate, Leo, Christian, and five others would ride in his Navigator while Sam and Mikaela followed along in her Camaro. Andy, Balie, Colton, Tyler, and Balie's best friend Rachel were the other five joining them. The girls, of course, were ecstatic at the thought of tanning on the beach and shopping. Sam, Leo, and Andy couldn't help but fantasize about the thought of their girls on the beach in skimpy bikinis while the other guys were imagining all the other gorgeous women they would be seeing in their bikinis.

To put it mildly, Christian's aunt was loaded. Her family came from old money, and her husband was a sports agent so he was wealthy in his own right. Christian was extremely close to her aunt and was grateful that her aunt and uncle were willing to allow her and nine of her friends they had never met to use their gorgeous beach house for a week. She and her family had spent their summers in Florida with her aunt's family at the beach house for as long as she could remember. This trip would be one that none of them would ever forget, of that she was sure of. The few stipulations her aunt had about them using the beach house was that they didn't burn it down, didn't get cops called and get arrested for underage drinking (because, let's face it, her aunt and uncle were not naïve—they were well aware their niece and all her friends would be drinking despite all but one of them being under 21), and Christian and her friends had to have dinner with her aunt and uncle the night they got there and the day before they left.

The plan was to meet at Sam and the other's house as soon as they were all finished with their classes. Bags had already been packed and were ready to be loaded into the Navigator, except for one _slight_ problem.

The Navigator wasn't there.

"Tate, where the hell are you?" Mikaela hissed angrily into her cell phone. Tate was the one person that hadn't had a class that day and should have been the first one there, but instead he was the last to show up and was more than an hour late.

"_Aww Mickey, you only saw me last night,_" Tate teased. "_Do you miss me already?_"

"Tate Brantley McMurray, you were supposed to be here an hour ago!" She said indignantly. "Everyone else was here on time! Everyone else is sitting around waiting on _you_, Tate! Why the hell can't you show up on time? What the hell was so much more fucking important than this trip we've all been looking forward to for a month, that _you_ have been looking forward to?"

"_God, Mikaela, don't be such a bitch. What the hell is your fucking problem_?" Sam heard what Tate said and instantly took the phone from his fiancée before she and Tate started screaming at each other and got in an argument that would likely have lasted the whole trip and caused a whole lot of drama and tension when they were supposed to be having a good time.

"Tate, man, it's Sam," He said calmly. "Look, 'Kaela's just excited about the trip, she's ready to go, and she doesn't like to wait. You know that. Don't worry about her. I'll calm her down before you get here. How much longer are you going to be?"

"_I know Sam. I didn't mean to lash out at her. Something came up and that's why I'm so late,"_ Tate sighed and Sam could tell he was frustrated. "_I'm pulling up at the gas station at Slide and Lincoln. Just give me about five more minutes and then I'll be there._"

"Alright, man, we'll be here," They said their goodbyes and Sam flipped Mikaela's phone shut.

"What the hell, Sam?" Mikaela turned her anger on him and snatched her phone from his hands.

"Mikaela, calm down, alright?" Sam didn't want to fight with her, but she was being out of line. "He's at the gas station down the street. He'll be here soon and then we can go."

"No, I don't get it. He knew when we were planning to leave, and he's an hour late. We've all been calling him for the last 45 minutes and he hasn't answered a single call until now. It's bullshit Sam."

"Baby, just calm down," He took her jaw in the palm of his hand and forced her to look him in the eye. "Tate is one of the most punctual people we know. He's hardly ever late. You know how excited he is for this trip. Something came up that he had to take care of before he left."

"What came up?"

"I don't know, but I could tell it was bothering him pretty bad. So please, just calm down, and talk to him when he gets here, okay? Just please don't jump down his throat the minute he walks in the door. Remember we're all stuck together for the next week and we just want to have a good time."

"Fine," Mikaela sighed and turned away without another word to her fiancée before taking a seat next to Christian on the couch and rested her head on her friend's shoulder.

Sam watched silently as Mikaela agitatedly twirled her cell phone between her thumb and index finger, checking the time every minute or so. He just hoped that she would calm down enough by the time Tate showed up that there would be no problems because it really sounded like something serious was going on with Tate. Christian caught his eye and gave him a slight nod to let him know she understood his worries. He didn't really see why there was such a problem with them leaving a little bit later than they had planned to since they were only driving halfway before stopping at a hotel to stay the night somewhere in North Carolina.

The sound of Mikaela laughing at something Christian said settled Sam's nerves somewhat. She at least appeared to be in a better mood than she had been only minutes before, and he hoped that she wasn't upset with Tate for making them wait an hour for him to show up.

His hopes were dashed, however, when Tate walked in the door five minutes later and she shot him a glare so hard it almost had Sam cowering back.

"How nice of you to show up your majesty," Mikaela spit out sarcastically.

"For the love of God, Mikaela, would you just pull that stick out of your ass? I'm sorry I'm late and fucked up your perfect little schedule!" Tate's eyes darkened angrily. "Not all of us are spoiled little rich kids whose daddy gave them everything they could've asked for and were treated like the world revolves around them. I hate to break it to you honey, but the world don't owe you shit!" The only sound that could be heard was the gasp that came from Christian's mouth at Tate's hateful words. Sam wanted to knock the shit out of Tate for what he said, but a small part of him knew that Mikaela deserved a little bit of it. He watched the emotions play out on her face: from shock, to anger, to hurt, and then back to anger once more.

"Spoiled little rich kid? Daddy gave me everything I wanted?" Mikaela stepped into Tate's face and shoved him hard enough that he stumbled back a little bit. "How about my dad going to prison when I was seven and just barely getting out when I graduated? How about my mom was so much of a fucking crack head she ran off before I ever even started school? _Everything_ I have now, I have _earned_ Tate. The world didn't give me shit, I got it all myself."

Everybody in the room stood frozen at the heated argument between the two close friends. Tate's face quickly changed from the angry look he'd worn into one of shame. Without another word, Mikaela turned from everyone and went to grab her bags before heading to the front door.

"Mikaela!" To the surprise of everyone, Mikaela actually stopped and turned back to him. Sam's heart broke at the look in her eyes and prayed that Tate wouldn't say anything to make it worse. "Mickey, I'm sorry. Honey, I didn't mean it."

"You know why it was so important for us to leave on time?" Christian moved to stop Mikaela from reaching into her pocket. They'd only been friends for a few short months, but she knew her best friend well enough to know that what cold tone meant. She was shutting Tate out. He'd cut her down in the worst way, but Mikaela always found a way to come out on top in an argument like this.

"'Kaela, stop!" She was too late though. Mikaela pulled out a small stack of papers and held them up in front of Tate.

"Happy fucking birthday asshole," Mikaela hissed before shoving 10 tickets to a Papa Roach concert in Raleigh that night into his chest. "Find some other _spoiled little rich kid_ to go with you."

The door slammed behind Mikaela. Tate stared at the door for a moment before turning back to the rest of their friends. Nobody moved for a good long moment before Leo decided enough was enough and moved to grab his and Christian's bags. Andy was next to follow, and the rest of them recovered from the shock and came back to life. Tate was the only one who didn't move so Sam walked up to him and clapped him on the shoulder. He told his friend to forget about it and that they would both be able to calm down and get over it since they were riding in separate cars. Mikaela would forgive him, Sam said, for the things he said in the heat of the moment.

Sam was the last one out of the house after checking that all the lights were off and that nothing was left plugged into an outlet that shouldn't have been. Stepping off the front porch, he noticed Christian having some kind of serious discussion with Mikaela through the passenger side window of her Camaro.

"She wants me to ride with her instead," Christian shrugged helplessly and his heart dropped. Tate's words had evidently upset her more than he initially thought if she was asking Christian to ride with her instead of him.

"'Kaela?" Sam asked softly kneeling down next to the window. Her eyes were hidden by sunglasses, but he could see the tear tracks that ran down her cheeks.

"Sam please," It was all she could seem to choke out.

"You want Christian to drive and me to ride in the other car?"

"Please."

"What's goin' on in that pretty little head of yours baby girl?" Sam asked pleadingly.

"I just wanna ride with Christian," was Mikaela's simple reasoning. At a loss as to what she was thinking, he decided it would probably be best to just let her have her way rather than risk upsetting her further.

"Alright baby, have your girl time since you two haven't been able to get rid of Leo or me in forever. I love you 'Kaela baby," Sam said softly close to her ear. She nodded in acknowledgment that she'd heard him, but said nothing and wouldn't look at him. He reached in the car and turned her face towards him to kiss her but at the last moment she jerked her head back, forcing him to kiss her cheek instead. For several seconds he didn't move, staring at his fiancée with a hurt look on his face, but finally stood up and walked away dejectedly.

****

Two hours north of Raleigh and Mikaela had yet to say a word. Christian thought she would've gone crazy after five hours of almost silence. The only thing saving them from listening to the wheels turning and the wind blowing as they cruised through it was the radio. Both of their phones had gone off several times, but Mikaela's was left unanswered until she finally silenced it and threw it in her purse. Christian had answered two text messages from Leo--one soon after they had got on the highway in Philadelphia asking if she knew what was wrong with their Mikaela, to which she replied she had no clue; the second was also from Leo about 15 minutes ago asking how Mikaela was. Christian simply told her boyfriend she still didn't know and that the other woman had been silent the whole way. Poor Sam must be going crazy with worry, she thought.

The way Mikaela had acted earlier that day were completely out of character for her, but as Christian thought about it she realized her friend had been different over the last week. The three of them had hardly seen her and if they did, it was usually in passing. She had kept herself holed up in her and Sam's bedroom, claiming tiredness as the reason. Come to think of it, Christian couldn't remember the last time Mikaela ate. Her whole demeanor had changed, and it was a shock that none of them had noticed it before.

What had happened to their best friend?

The sound of Mikaela sobbing broke Christian from her reverie. Looking to her right, she saw her best friend's shoulders shaking violently from the sobs racking her body. Mikaela's eyes were still hidden behind her sunglasses, but Christian could only imagine the pain that shone in them.

"Mikaela," She said softly but Mikaela shook her head signaling that she didn't want to talk. Complying with her friend's request, Christian kept her mouth shut but reached over and took her hand to let her know she was there.

However, there was only so long Christian could stand to listen to her best friend bawling her eyes out before she had to do something so she shot off a text to Leo before taking the next exit.

****

_Pulling off at gas station. Mikaela crying horribly. Keep going. Will catch up._

Leo flipped his phone closed and sighed. This trip wasn't starting off the way they had all envisioned. Nobody had any idea what was going on with Mikaela, Tate was horribly ashamed of the way he had provoked her, and Sam was freaking out. He'd been calling her phone every five or 10 minutes since they'd left, but it always went to voicemail. Finally, he'd given up on leaving messages a couple hours ago.

The atmosphere in the Navigator was slightly subdued, but the eight people in it still tried to have a good time. Colton and Tyler provided the much needed comedic relief, retelling stories from their high school days and all the mischief they had caused. Those two were an absolute trip when together, and nobody ever knew what to expect from the duo.

"Oh thank God!" Balie hollered excitedly a few minutes later, causing everyone else to jump as it had finally fallen completely silent in the luxury SUV.

"What the hell B?" Andy questioned his girlfriend.

"That's the first mile sign that showed Raleigh on it!"

"Did you happen to catch how many miles until we get there?" Rachel asked dryly.

"Well, no…" Balie shrugged slightly embarrassed. "I was just excited to see Raleigh on it and forgot to look at the other side of the sign.

"Honey, there's still 100 somethin' miles left."

"Oh."

"Yeah," Rachel laughed at her friend. "Oh."

"But at least we're close enough for it to be on a sign!" Balie insisted trying to get everyone else to share in her excitement.

****

Christian and Mikaela drove into Raleigh an hour behind the others due to their unexpected stop. To Christian's dismay, Mikaela still hadn't opened up to her about whatever was going on. The violent sobs had continued for another 15 minutes before she apparently decided she'd cried enough and just stopped. That was the last show of any kind of emotion Christian had seen from the other woman since. The rest of the trip was made in complete silence, Christian too frustrated with Mikaela shutting everyone out to even listen to the radio. Once they got to the hotel they were staying at, she called Leo to find out what side of the building their rooms were on and what rooms they were in.

Mikaela walked into the room and saw him sitting on the bed with his back against the headboard staring off into space. He had one headphone in his right ear and the iPod was sitting loosely in his hand. So distracted was he that he didn't even notice when she walked into the door. It wasn't until she touched his shin that he ever looked away from the spot on the ceiling he was staring at so intently. Once he realized who was in his room, he jumped up from his spot on the bed and stood in front of her, visibly wanting to take her into his arms but uncertain of how she would react.

"Tater," Mikaela looked up at him remorsefully. "I'm so sorry."

"Mickey, don't be sorry," Tate said softly and gathered her up in his arms.

"I wasn't mad at you. It was just…" She searched for the right words. "The last straw maybe? I don't know. It's been a long week. I just lost it."

"Have you talked to Sam?" He felt her shake her head side to side in his chest. "Honey, you know I'm always here for you no matter what, but you need to talk to him. He's been going crazy with worry ever since we left town."

"I'm just scared," Mikaela whispered. "He's gonna be really, really mad."

"No, he won't honey. He loves you. No matter what, Sam is going to stand by your side. Deep down, you know that."

"He's still gonna be really upset with me for keeping this a secret, for not coming to him in the first place," Tate could see every emotion in her eyes when she looked up at him. "He's gonna think I don't trust him, but I do. Tater Cakes, I trust that boy with my life."

"Mickey, Sam knows that. We all know that," Tate wiped away the few stray tears that streaked down her cheeks. "But there are times that you just have to work through it by yourself before you can open up to someone else. This was one of those times."

****

Mikaela found herself standing outside the door to her and Sam's hotel room. She knew more than anything she needed the man inside that room more than she had ever needed anyone before, but fear was getting the best of her. The conversation they would soon have should have come more than a week ago. It bothered her just a little bit that he hadn't once picked up on the slight change in her behavior, but she couldn't really blame him for not knowing. Long ago, way before Sam stepped foot into her life, she had perfected the art of hiding her true feelings. If she didn't want anyone to know how she felt or what was going on inside her head, they wouldn't have a clue there was something wrong. Still though, this was Sam, her fiancée and the one person who knew her better than anyone else, and she would be lying if she said she didn't resent it just a tiny bit that he was completely oblivious.

In the end it didn't matter that she'd kept a secret from him and he'd never even noticed. All that mattered was the love the two shared and that she needed her man and his support because she couldn't handle it alone. That final thought gave her all the strength she needed to knock on the door.

"God, Mikaela, I've been so worried," Sam said relieved once he saw his fiancée standing in the hall. The sight of him robbed her of anything she wanted to say and all she could do was wrap her arms around his neck and lay her head on his chest. Immediately his arms wove around her waist and pulled her closer. The door clicked shut behind them, but neither noticed. All Sam could think about was that it'd been hours since they had last talked and even longer since he'd seen her. He couldn't remember the last time they went so long without so much as a quick phone call when they weren't technically fighting.

"Will you just lay with me?" Mikaela pleaded. Sam picked her up and carried her to the king size bed where they both laid down on top of the blankets.

"As long as you need me to," He whispered pushing her hair away from her face. Honestly, he wished she would just open up and let him know what was going through her head because it was breaking his heart the way she was hurting and keeping it all in.

"I promise I'll tell you what's going on," A small smile crossed his face at the way she seemed to read his mind. "I'm sorry for today. I know you're worried, and I will tell you. I promise. I just need you right now. I love you so, so much and I know that it's hurting you that I'm hurting, but I just need you to hold me more than anything else."

"'Kaela baby, I'm not going anywhere. I'll hold you forever if that's what you need."

They lay in bed until well after the sun had gone down. Christian and Leo had come by a while ago to see if they wanted to go with the others to the concert for Tate's birthday but Mikaela had regretfully told them they were going to stay in that night. She knew she needed to talk to Sam that night or it would only ruin their trip. Tate had thankfully understood her need to miss the concert, and told her he would much rather they stay in so Sam could help her work through whatever problems she was up against. Mikaela promised to take him somewhere to celebrate his birthday some other time.

Sam was more than happy to spend a night in with Mikaela, but he hated the reasons they were doing it this time. As much as she needed this time with him, he needed it just as much. He needed her to know she wasn't alone, and that he would be there for her through whatever was happening. The fight with Tate earlier had been completely out of character for her, and it bothered him that it had taken something so drastic for him to notice there was something going on with her. He should've known instinctively. Now that he knew something was wrong, he could look back and pinpoint little things that had been different over the last week much like Christian had realized hours earlier.

Mikaela finally rolled over so that she and Sam were lying face to face and gave him a small smile when he looked at her. Her fingers moved to his face and gently traced his jaw line before tilting her head up and pressing her lips to his.

"I just want you to know that I do trust you, okay?" He raised his eyebrow in confusion. "I love you, Sam, and I don't want you thinking I kept this in because I didn't trust you or that I couldn't come to you. I just needed to be able to work through it and accept it before I could talk about it. I probably should've talked to you about it last night or the night before and then the thing with me and Tate might not have happened, but as unlikely as it sounds I kind of forgot about it with all the excitement over the trip and it was nice to forget about it since that's all I've been able to think of since I got the call."

"What call?" Sam prodded.

"My dad's dead, Sam."

****

Christian, Leo, Andy, Balie, Rachel, Tate, Tyler, and Colton found themselves in the front row watching Breaking Benjamin finish up their set before Papa Roach was set to take the stage. Luckily there had been a local band and some other band nobody knew the names of that opened for the two more popular bands, so the delay they had had in leaving Philadelphia ended up being a moot point.

All eight of them were well aware of the two empty seats next to Andy, but nobody wanted to mention their missing friends. By no means did it mean they didn't care, but they were all at a loss as to what had caused Mikaela to lose it like she had. Before they left, Tate had spoken up saying that he knew they were all worried and that they didn't really want to leave their two friends behind but that the tickets had been a birthday present from Mikaela and he knew that she would want them to go and enjoy the concert regardless of the day's events.

"So who is bailing me out of jail?" Rachel piped up once the song ended.

"For what?! We just got to town, how the hell have you already managed to wreak havoc?" Andy teased his girlfriend's best friend.

"Because I'm betting that it's probably illegal for me to jump on the stage and maul Jacoby," She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly referring to the lead singer of Papa Roach. "And yet, that's exactly what I plan on doing."

"Not if I get to him first," Christian smirked leaning around Leo to eye her friend.

"Hey!" Leo cried indignantly.

"What is with this freakin' Jacoby Shaddix obsession you all seem to have?" Balie asked in an almost exasperated tone. Truth be told, he was all the girls had talked about since arriving in Raleigh. "I just don't get it."

"How could you not?" Rachel seemed incredulous that Balie couldn't see the appeal. "Jacoby Shaddix has to be the most beautiful man I have ever laid eyes on."

"All he has to do is scream at me and I seriously think I would have the most mind blowing orgasm ever," Christian said.

"Hey!" Leo cried indignantly again and this time everyone laughed at him. Christian leaned over and kissed her boyfriend in apology, but he knew she was only kidding. Kind of, anyway.

They all quieted and watched Breaking Benjamin sing their last few songs before leaving the stage and allowing the crew to take down their set before setting it up for Papa Roach. It only took about 25 minutes before the lights were dimming for the main act, but to the girls it felt so much longer than that. They were screaming at the top of their lungs in excitement when the lead singer they all drooled over finally came out. Once the band started playing, each girl was singing along word for word and jumping up and down. Leo wasn't sure who the tickets were more for: Tate or the girls. Tate was having a good time, Papa Roach was one of his favorite times, but he wasn't as exuberant as the others were by any means. He was singing along, but refrained from jumping up and down.

At the beginning, the songs were played in a sort of chronological order with most of their older songs from the _Incest_ album being played first. It wasn't until after "Scars", one of their more popular songs, was sung that there was any sort of change.

"The last song comes straight from the heart," Jacoby shouted into his microphone while holding his fist over his heart for a moment before he gave a devilish little grin and moved his hand to grab his crotch before continuing. "And this next song comes straight from the dick!"

The opening chords to "I Almost Told You That I Loved You" from their newest album, _Metamorphosis_, began to play and the girls went absolutely nuts. Instead of merely singing along to the lyrics, they were now screaming them as loud as they could. Since they were in the front row, the girls' antics were definitely catching the attention of Jacoby and the bassist, who was on their side of the stage, and the lead singer made a show of constantly winking or pointing at them.

"Take off your pants!!' Rachel yelled once there was a lull between songs. Everyone within earshot busted out laughing. Jacoby being the outrageous, unpredictable individual that he was complied and did in fact undo his pants so that they dropped to his ankles. Tate, the one closest to the girls, thought he was going to go deaf when the girls screamed in a decibel range he didn't even know existed. On top of that, the five guys were almost blinded by all the flashbulbs that went off as girls all throughout the arena scrambled to get pictures of Jacoby Shaddix with his pants down.

After that, the rest of the concert almost seemed anticlimactic but the group of friends still had a blast anyway. On the ride back to the hotel, the girls were all hoarse from screaming so much and the guys felt like they had gone deaf from listening to the screaming at such close range. As a result, there was very little communication between the friends as they tried to let the effects fade away on their own.

****

"What?" Sam asked in disbelief.

"My dad is dead," Mikaela repeated softer this time.

"What? How?"

"Evidently he'd been sick a while. He never told me," There was a hint of bitterness in her voice. "Never once thought it important enough to tell his only daughter that he was dying!"

"Baby, I'm so sorry," He reached over and touched her face.

"I know he was an ass, but that didn't mean I wanted him to die! Damn it, Sam, the last time I talked to him was Thanksgiving! The last thing my father ever said to me was that I was the reason my mom took off. I can't even remember the last time he told me he loved me or I told him, and now I'm never going to get the chance to tell him!" Tears were pooling in her eyes again and Sam felt powerless to stop them. What could he possibly say to her to make the tears stop?

"When did he die?"

"Last Thursday," If anything, he now felt a hundred times worse knowing that she'd been dealing with this by herself for over a week. "My aunt called me after he…after he…he d-died. That's the way he wanted it. He didn't want to see me. He didn't even give me the chance to say goodbye!" Sobs racked her body all over again, and Mikaela silently wondered how she had any tears left to cry. It seemed that was all she had done since finding out.

"'Kaela, maybe he just didn't want you to see how sick he was. He might not have wanted you to remember him that way.

"He left me a letter," Sam's head shot up. "My aunt mailed it to me."

"What did it say?"

"I don't know," She whispered. "I haven't been able to read it."

"Where is it?"

"My purse."

"Do you want to read it now?" Sam tilted her head so she made eye contact with him. "Do you want me to read it to you?"

Mikaela didn't say anything, but moved to get up and went to her purse and dug the envelope out of the side pocket. Sam moved so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed and pulled Mikaela down onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist when she came back over to the bed. Her hands were shaking so bad the letter inside the envelope was making that soft, rustling noise paper made. His arms tightened around her waist to let her know he was there.

It took her a few minutes before she attempted to open the envelope, and he knew why. Opening the envelope meant she would finally have to accept that her dad was gone. As much of a jackass as he had been on Thanksgiving, Mikaela's dad had always been an integral part of her life. Before he went to prison, they were all each other had and they had gotten even closer once he was released up until the incident at Thanksgiving. It was obvious alcohol had taken over his life again in his last months.

The letter finally came out of the envelope, but she didn't unfold it right away. The familiar scrawl of her dad's handwriting brought a fresh wave of tears but she was determined to make it through the letter before she lost it. Her free hand found one of his and wove her fingers through his as she began to read.

_Mikaela,_

_I love you. That's the most important thing I want to say to you. I know you're probably confused, and hurt, and angry and I'm sorry for that but I did what I thought was right. I want you to know how sorry I am that I failed you so miserably. I was all you had after your mom left us, and I let you down. If I could go back and change it baby, I would give up anything to do it. I would trade the world to have been the father you deserved. I love you so much and I always have. You're my baby girl, but I never showed you that the way I should have. I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am of the woman you've become. There's this light about you that is so completely radiant, I can't even begin to put into words the effect it has on other people. I know you didn't get that from me. I need you to know that you are not the reason your mom left. You never were. She didn't deserve to have you in her life, but I can't honestly say that I did either. _

_I wish I could make you understand how horrible I feel about what I did on Thanksgiving. I'm surprised Sam didn't hunt me down and beat me to a pulp because I deserved every bit of it. That's part of the reason I didn't want you to know I was dying. I couldn't bear to look you in the eye knowing that I'd hit you. That was the lowest part of my life. There were so many times I wanted to end my own life for hurting you, but I couldn't do that to you. I couldn't make you live with knowing your father committed suicide. You are the single greatest thing I have ever had in my life, and I committed one of the worst crimes possible. I only hope that someday you can find it in your heart to forgive me, but I would understand if you didn't. _

_I love you more than life baby girl and I pray to whatever god exists that you believe that. After all you had to go through growing up, and you've turned into the most amazing person I've ever known. I give all the credit for that to Sam. You found yourself a good man, honey, and I know he's going to treat you right. He's going to cherish you and love you the way you deserve. I couldn't have picked a better man for you, and I know that you're going to be just fine. _

_Sam, I know you're reading this too—please take care of her for me. I've never seen her as happy as she is when she's with you. Don't let her grieve for me too long. She needs to move on and live her life. I don't want her to be sad I'm gone. Make her happy. My little girl deserves nothing but the best, and that's what you are. You have my blessing to take her hand in marriage and the happiest day of my life—or whatever you want to call it now—will be the day she says 'I do' in front of the people who were there for her when she needed it. _

_Mikaela, I love you so much. Know that you are worth more than I ever gave you, and more than I ever showed you. You are destined for amazing things and it breaks my heart that I won't be there to see it but I'll be watching you. If you let me, I'll always be in your heart. Don't cry for me, baby, I'm not worth your tears. Show me that beautiful smile of yours and tell that boy you love him. I only wish you knew how much I loved you, how much I always will love you._

_I love you,  
Dad_

Sam had tears in his own eyes when he finished reading the letter over her shoulder. For all his faults, her father loved Mikaela more than life and the emotion pouring out of the words in his last letter proved that.

"That has to be the most heartfelt he's ever been with me," Mikaela laughed sadly. "Of course it had to come after he was dead."

Tears still fell from her eyes, but it wasn't the same uncontrollable sobbing she'd done most of the day. The tears now were more of acceptance and forgiveness. She was letting go, but holding on at the same time. Sam rested his chin on her shoulder so their cheeks touched and entwined the fingers on their other hand once she set the letter down beside them on the bed. No words were spoken; they weren't needed. His love was evident in his gentle touch, and that's all she really needed.

"I love you daddy," Mikaela whispered staring up towards the heavens. "You'll always be in my heart."

* * *

**Just to throw out a little humor after an emotional chapter..t he Jacoby Shaddix obsession is b a s e d s o m e w h a t on r e a l i t y . A f r i e n d o f m i n e h a s a J a c o b y o b s e s s i o n a n d m o s t o f t h e q u o t e s a r e t h i n g s t h a t h a v e a c t u a l l y b e e n s a i d b e t w e e n h e r a n d I .  
W e d i d g o t o a P a p a R o a c h c o n c e r t l a s t f a l l , a n d I w a s h a l f w a y a f r a i d I w o u l d h a v e t o b a i l h e r a s s o u t o f j a i l f o r j u m p i n g o n s t a g e a n d r a p i n g t h e p o o r m a n , b u t f o r t u n a t e l y i t  
d i d n o t h a p p e n ! He did also actually say the quote about straight from the heart/straight from the dick but I can't remember if that's the exact way he worded it. T h e " t a k e o f f y o u r p a n t s " q u o t e i s a l s o b a s e d i n r e a l l i f e b u t i t w a s my brother in law yelling it out at a Billy Currington concert because that's just the type of goofy things he does. I wouldn't be surprised if Jacoby really would drop his pants if someone yelled that out at a Papa Roach concert just because he seems crazy enough to do it. **


	27. Chapter 27

**Okay, I know it's been like forever since I updated and I'm really really really sorry!! Good news is I'm starting to get rid of this darn writer's block I've had so bad over the last few months. To (kind of) make up for it, here's a pretty long chapter..I hope y'all like it! And I know it's been forever and I totally don't deserve it, but I hope you guys will review this one. I think I only got like one on the last chapter. Pwetty pwetty pwease?! **

**And, again, thank you Brittany for allllll of your help on this chapter! It wouldn't be near this good without your feedback, and I hope you like the changes I made.**

**The rest of y'all should thank her too, because I would probably _still_ be stuck on this chapter if it wasn't for her!**

* * *

Everybody was awestruck at the size and beauty of the house. The main floor held the kitchen, a large living area, a dining room, one and a half bathrooms, and the smallest bedroom--which was still a good sized room. On the second floor were four more bedrooms, all relatively the same size, two full bathrooms, and a quaint little sitting area at the top of the stairs that extended the length of the floor. There was a door that led out to a balcony facing the beach, giving off a beautiful view. The two master suites took up the entire third floor. Mikaela was blown away at the size of the master bedrooms, although she knew she shouldn't be given the size of the rest of the house.

Just when they thought the grand tour was over, Christian showed them the basement. In it was every man's dream. Directly in the center of the room were a grand pool table and a foosball table. On one wall hung a 52" LED TV with the three major video game systems and a huge collection of games. There was a full bar on the opposite wall.

Sam had the classic "kid on Christmas morning" look and Mikaela thought he was so adorable she couldn't help but lean over and kiss him. He smiled down at her before slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her into his side. Colton and Tyler were already glued to the foosball table, and Christian knew they would all have a hard time keeping the two boys from spending the entire trip in the basement.

Once they returned to the main floor, the guys went to the cars to bring all their bags into the house while the girls picked out their rooms. Christian and Mikaela took the two master suites, and Balie and Rachel took two adjacent rooms on the second floor. Their rooms shared a Jack-and-Jill style bathroom that connected the two bedrooms with doors on both sides of the bathroom. Colton, Tyler and Tate flipped a quarter to figure out which of the three would be stuck with the main floor bedroom.

"Aw man," Tyler groaned when he realized he would be the one taking the first bedroom.

Christian's aunt called to let her niece know they would be there in an hour after picking up food from the grocery store. Her uncle made fabulous fajitas, and Christian had specially requested for it to be their first meal in Daytona Beach. Now having a set time for their arrival Christian and the other three women rushed off to freshen up. Sam attempted to follow Mikaela up the stairs, but she simply pecked his cheek before pushing him in the chest and telling him to go play in the basement with the other guys. Playing along, he got a pouty look on his face before turning and stomping off in the direction of the basement.

"Don't think you're getting away so easily," He teased grabbing her from behind and leaning her against the railing where she stood halfway up the staircase.

"Sam!" Mikaela shrieked, laughter heard in her voice.

Any admonishments she might have made were quickly silenced when he covered her lips with his own. Immediately she responded to his kiss, running her tongue across his bottom lip. Sam's hands moved from her sides to the railing as he pressed his body harder into hers. Her small hands flattened against his toned chest and he swore he heard a slight moan escape when he sensually slid his own tongue along hers.

"You'd better go get ready," Sam chastised and tried not to laugh when Mikaela's jaw dropped. "Christian's family will be here soon."

"Witwicky, you're an ass," She swatted him on the chest.

"That may be true, but you're still the one who goes to bed with me every night," Oh, how she wanted to slap that cocky smirk of his face.

"Somebody just earned himself a night on the couch," Mikaela winked and jogged up the stairs before he had a chance to respond.

Sam rolled his eyes at her remark before making his way to the basement where the other four guys were. Predictably, Tate and Colton were already locked in a fierce foosball game with Tyler watching on ready to take on the winner. Andy was behind the bar mixing himself a Captain and cola. He nodded to Sam before reaching into one of the built in refrigerators under the counter and handed the other man a bottle of Bud Light. They took over the pool table when Andy finished making his drink. Sam broke and dropped two balls, one of each, before lining up a shot on the 14 ball, but his angle was off and the ball hit a few inches away from the corner pocket on the side rail. Andy was a badass when it came to pool. He could run the table without the other person ever getting a shot; hence the reason Sam broke instead.

"Be gentle with me," Sam joked.

Andy's eyes rolled sarcastically before continuing with his turn. The one and six balls were easy shots, the three ball a relatively easy bank shot into the side pocket but he ran into a little bit of trouble with the two ball. He was going to have to curve it around Sam's 15 ball. It was the only shot he had since his other ball was resting up against Sam's nine ball, both lodged against the rail.

"Mother fucker, how do you do that shit," Sam said frustrated after he successfully curved the two ball around Sam's and it fell softly into the corner pocket.

"Just lucky, I guess," Andy shrugged nonchalantly.

"Lucky, my ass," Sam retorted.

Andy had no other option but to just try to separate his and Sam's balls so he would have a shot on his next turn. Sam made a valiant comeback, but he couldn't manage to get his last stripe in, effectively giving the game to Andy by setting him up perfectly on the five ball.

Leo was up next against Andy, but there was no competition whatsoever. Andy had the table cleared in less than 10 minutes since he broke, then went on to knock in all of Leo's balls as well without missing a single shot.

They settled down in front of the monstrous TV next, ready to play the newest NFL game on the Xbox. Leo chose his beloved Cowboys, leading to a lot of ragging by the other guys, and Sam chose the Chargers for his team. It was a good, close game as both boys had played earlier versions of the video games a thousand times or more and it was 14-13 in Leo's favor as the fourth quarter wound down.

"Am I going to have to make this room off limits to you boys?" Christian teased coming down the stairs.

"Baby, you look gorgeous," Leo said admiring his girlfriend in her black pants and striped pink and baby blue low cut shirt.

"Why thank you, kind sir," She leaned over the back of the couch he was sitting on and kissed him.

Sam, knowing the game was over now that his opponent was sufficiently distracted tossed his controller down before heading up the three flights of stairs to the bedroom they were staying in. Mikaela was rummaging around in the en suite bathroom. He found his bag on the floor in front of the bed and opened it to search for clean clothes to change into.

Mikaela had heard him come into the room, but was still intent on teasing him. Thus, when she stepped out of the bathroom clad in only her bra and panties, her movements were carefully calculated to have the fullest effect on her fiancée. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Sam stopped moving and stared openly at her, but still didn't acknowledge his presence. In the closet hung the outfit she had picked out before jumping into the shower. Her shirt was a blue, pink, and green plaid patterned camisole with a sweetheart neckline and empire waist. Sam had yet to see her wear it, and she'd known it would drive him wild. Her favorite holy jeans and a pair of matching plaid flip flops completed the ensemble. As she pulled the shirt over her head followed by slipping her jeans on, she could feel Sam's eyes boring holes in her back. Before turning to finally face him, she allowed herself a satisfied little smile.

"Like what you see?" Mikaela purred.

"God, 'Kaela you are the sexiest woman I've ever seen," Sam answered.

"I'd better be," She skipped over to him and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "But you're still on the couch tonight honey."

The affronted look on his face had her smiling amusedly as she trounced down the stairs to find Rachel and Christian already in the living room. Christian's family was due to arrive sometime in the next 10 to 15 minutes. Mikaela was slightly nervous about meeting the obviously wealthy couple because most of the people she had known in her life who were half as wealthy as these folks seemed to be were uptight snooty bitches with a superiority complex. Surely though, Mikaela couldn't help but think, if Christian was as close to them as she acted like she was they had to be laidback, down to earth people or she would be just as stuck up as they were.

Leo and the other four guys finally came out of the basement a few minutes later and were quickly ushered to their rooms to change into clothes that weren't wrinkled and sweaty from being stuck in a car all day. The girls stood around in a circle getting in some much needed girl time since they were outnumbered by guys and had been forced to listen to them talk about sports and cars most of the day. All four were more than ready to get to the beach and tan the next day. That much they were sure of.

Andy had just barely joined the others in the living room when the front door swung opened and Christian's family walked in. She quickly introduced her friends to her aunt and uncle, Brooke and Noah, and her cousin Kelsey.

"Aunt Brooke, Uncle Noah, Kelsey these are my amazingly awesome friends: Mikaela, Sam, Balie, Rachel, Tate, Colton, Tyler, Andy, and my fabulous boyfriend Leo," Christian pointed to each of them individually as she spouted off their names. "Guys this is my Aunt Brooke and my Uncle Noah and my gorgeous cousin Kelsey--Tyler pick your jaw up, quit drooling, and stay away from my cousin. She's off limits!"

Tyler mumbled a half hearted apology to everyone else's amusement, but Christian caught the sly wink he gave her cousin and she shrugged her shoulders helplessly knowing Tyler would do what he wanted anyway. Rachel, being the ever so helpful friend that she was, reached up and flicked Tyler hard in the ear and gave him an innocent smile when he shot her a dirty look and rubbed his ear.

Mikaela instantly got a bad feeling about Christian's cousin. There was just something about the girl that reminded her of the stereotypical queen bee in high school. She was gorgeous with her chin length sun streaked red hair and coral green eyes but the way she held herself said she knew it and knew how to use it to her advantage. All throughout the introductions she was subtly eying Sam and Mikaela was just hoping it wouldn't become a problem. After all, she was standing in the girl's parent's beach house and she didn't want to disrespect their graciousness by causing a problem with their daughter.

It was a beautiful night, so while Noah grilled the fajitas they all lounged about on the patio. There was a fully functional outdoor kitchen as well so Brooke was able to cook the beans and rice, hot sauce, and queso without having to be away from everyone else. Christian had been banned from going anywhere five feet within the grill because she couldn't keep from snacking on the fajita meat while Noah was cooking.

"So Leo huh?" Brooke slyly asked her niece.

"Yep," Christian simply answered.

"He's a lot different than Brett," She had only met the boy who had broken Christian so badly once when they'd been in Boston to see the Miami Heat play the Boston Celtics and he'd seemed nice enough. That had all changed when Christian had shown up unexpectedly on her doorstep one evening after finding out he had cheated on her. Brooke had never known her niece to be so distraught she had to run away from home. Not even after one of her and her dad's all out screaming matches that led to Christian bawling after getting slapped around a little bit from time to time and then kicked out had she ever just packed up and left Boston.

"Leo's the complete opposite of Brett."

"Are you going to tell me about him or are you going to be difficult about it?" Brooke laughed.

"I don't really know how to explain him. He's a dork, he's sweet, pays attention to me, treats me right. He's so patient. We were really good friends before we dated so he knew all about what Brett had done. Up until me, he was this real big whore. I can't even count the number of girls he slept with when we were friends, but that all stopped once he admitted he had feelings for me. He understood I was scared and that I had all these insecurities, but he never got frustrated or tried to push me. Finally one night Mikaela told me that he wasn't Brett but until I realized that he didn't stand a chance. There was no way we could work if I was constantly afraid of him doing the same thing Brett did. Once I figured that out, I let him know I was ready. He's been amazing. I've never met anyone like him."

"I'm happy for you honey," Brooke reached over and embraced her niece. "It's about time you find the happiness you've deserved for so long."

"Thanks Aunt Brooke. I was really nervous about you liking him."

Christian eyed her friends from where she was standing. They had broken into two groups, but still were occasionally all talking amongst themselves. Rachel, Colton, Andy, and Leo were on one side inevitably talking sports and Balie, Tyler, Mikaela, Tate, Sam, and Kelsey were a few feet away from them. From her viewpoint, she could see her cousin was in full flirt mode and she couldn't help but shake her head. They were inseparable when Christian spent her summers here, and she knew it was all harmless.

Mikaela was about ready to tear Kelsey's hair out or slap Sam upside the head; she hadn't decided which yet. Kelsey was eying Tyler but flirting with Sam and Sam had yet to make any kind of move towards Mikaela to show that they were dating. The whole thing was frustrating the hell out of her because she refused to cause a problem with Kelsey. After all, the girl was her best friend's cousin and that was a line she just did not want to cross. Her actions seemed harmless enough, but Mikaela had been the same type of girl at one point and so had all the girls she'd run around with in high school. It was all a ploy to reel a guy in and she knew what even the smallest moves meant. Balie caught Mikaela's eye and she saw the knowing look in her friend's gaze. Relief and annoyance coursed through her veins: relief that someone else had noticed it and annoyance that it wasn't Sam who did.

"So, Sam, what sport do you play?" Kelsey turned to Sam and touched his arm after finding out that Tate played baseball and Tyler wrestled. Her hand lingered there just a little too long for Mikaela's liking.

"I don't play any," He answered and saw her shocked look.

"No way! You've gotta play something to have a body like this," She purred.

"Nope," He said sheepishly with a shrug of his shoulders. "I just work out sometimes."

"Wow. I wish the boys around here had arms like yours," Kelsey touched his arm again to prove her point. Now she was being _way _too obvious. Even the boys had noticed. Tate was giving her uncertain looks, and Tyler just looked plain pissed off that she wasn't paying him the same kind of attention. And Sam? He was basically just eating it right up. Mikaela knew her boyfriend wasn't completely used to this kind of attention, but at that point she was basically past caring. There was no way he couldn't tell how Kelsey was acting.

"Bathroom. Now," Balie muttered so only Mikaela could hear. She could feel the tension rising and knew she had to defuse it before it got out of hand. Neither of them said another word as they passed their friends on the way inside the house.

Mikaela was absolutely fuming. Balie left the bathroom door open so nobody could overhear their conversation. She understood Mikaela's dilemma. If she let it go, it would just make her more upset but if she said something it would make her look bad.

"He's such a fucking idiot!" Mikaela hissed after a while. As much as she agreed, Balie had to calm her friend down.

"He's a guy, Mik. He doesn't see what she's doing," She said calmly. "And you know good and well it doesn't matter to him. He loves _you_."

"B, how often do we stand that close together without him touching me in some way? How many times have you seen him next to me without his arm around me or holding my hand?"

"Then why haven't you reached for him?"

"Because then it makes me look jealous. It would make her think she's one. I know her type. She's spoiled and she gets what she wants and she lives off drama and being the center of attention. I reach for him, and she's won."

"Would you rather her think she's won or stand here all pissed off?"

"The minute she thinks she's proven she's better, the flirting only gets worse because she knows none of us are going to say anything in front of her parents," Balie had no idea how to calm her down because she knew everything she was saying was true. Girls like Kelsey fed off the drama.

"Everything okay in here?" Christian popped in the bathroom with a confused look on her face.

"Yeah, we're fine," Mikaela said after sharing a long look with Balie.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing. We're just talking," Balie could tell Christian didn't believe either of them.

"Right. Whatever," Christian shook it off knowing one or the other would tell her later. "Anyway, the food is ready."

They followed her back out to the patio and Mikaela moved to sit next to Sam, but Kelsey quickly sat down next to him. With a look over at Balie who saw what had happened and nodded, she sat down next to her and Andy on the other side of the table a little farther down. Sam looked at her questioningly, but she broke their eye contact with a small shrug. She could sense confusion from all of their friends, and she forced herself to act like nothing was out of the ordinary.

Dinner was truly a hilarious affair. Christian and her aunt were so much alike it had been eerie at first. They were both typical blondes--gullible and a little slow on the uptake. Even Noah teased them mercilessly. Both women were very good natured about it though, having been forced to withstand the teasing for years.

It was inevitable for the adults to launch into the retelling of some of Christian's more embarrassing moments, no matter how many times she begged them to stop. All of their friends were relentless when it came to embarrassing each other and anything they heard now would only be more ammunition for later.

"So we're all sitting in the living room watching TV when this erectile dysfunction commercial comes on. I think Christian was probably 16 or 17 at the time," Brooke grinned evilly when Christian groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Anyway, after it was over she looks over at me and, serious as can be, asks if erectile dysfunction is when you can't poop."

"Now, now honey if you're going to tell the story you'd better tell the whole thing," Noah said.

"Noah Halloway if you finish that sentence, I'm going to kill you!" Brooke glared at him.

"As bad as you think that is, she's the one that looked at me and said 'no, erectile dysfunction is when you have really bad balance'," Christian smirked triumphantly.

"Well, erectile sounds a whole lot more like equilibrium than constipation," Brooke huffed.

Both women were blushing deeply and it took several minutes before everyone was able to quit laughing. After that, Brooke refrained from telling any stories that were too humiliating for Christian. There were periods of total silence as they enjoyed the amazing food Brooke and Noah had cooked for them.

"Tell me, aside from Leo dating my favorite niece, who else is dating?" Brooke requested once they were all finished eating and sitting around the table talking. "Because I know there is no way with 10 of you here that someone isn't dating someone else."

"Balie and I have been dating since we were seniors, but dated on-and-off all throughout junior high and high school," Andy stated. Mikaela finally held Sam's gaze, waiting for him to speak up about their relationship. She could've easily said it herself, but she was stubborn and wanted Kelsey to hear it from Sam himself. There was an awkward silence as their friends waited for one of them to say something.

"Mikaela and Sam have been together for like forever and got engaged on New Year's Eve," Christian finally said looking back and forth between the couple confusedly.

"Everyone else is single," Rachel finished.

"Ahh, drunken single spring break sex," Noah said wistfully remembering his spring break rendezvous in college. Brooke promptly smacked her husband on the back of his head and he got a sheepish look on his face. "However as the responsible adult, I should warn you guys to be careful." Everybody had a good laugh at Noah's quick backtrack on his words and Brooke rolled her eyes towards the heavens at her husband's antics. It didn't really matter though, they were all well aware that the next week would be full of reckless behavior for the 10 friends.

"Leo, why don't you help me clean up the kitchen?" Noah finally spoke up. It was obvious it really wasn't a question, and Leo immediately stood up and followed the older man.

"I'm saying this because I know her father's too much of a drunken asshole to give a damn, but Christian's like a daughter to me anyway. That girl deserves nothing less than to be treated like a queen."

"Yes sir," Leo agreed nervously. "Christian is one in a million. I've never met a girl like her."

"I like you Leo. I do. But I have to look after her or God knows nobody else will besides Brooke."

"I love her. I'd do anything in the world for her. She's everything I've ever wanted and so, so much more."

"Good. That's what I want to hear," Noah's face quickly turned serious. "But if I hear even _one_ time that you've done something to break her heart, it won't matter where you run to or how far it is. I will find you, and I will tear you apart limb from limb."

"I would expect nothing less, sir," Leo said in the same serious tone. The easy going smile was back on Noah's face as if it had never left. He clapped a hand on Leo's shoulder and offered him a beer before they rejoined in the conversation at the table.

Sam sat there completely clueless. Mikaela had been fine until dinner and suddenly she was sitting on the other side of the table ignoring him. He had no idea why she hadn't said anything about them being together. She'd never missed a chance to tell people they were engaged, but suddenly decided to keep quiet the minute she'd gotten the chance to do so tonight. As far as he knew, he'd done nothing to upset her tonight. Sure, he'd teased her earlier but she'd teased him back and they'd been fine. They were always teasing each other like that, and it hadn't ever bothered her before. What the hell had happened to upset her so bad she wouldn't even look at him?

After chatting for a while longer, Brooke finally decided it was time to leave, knowing her niece and the others were anxious to kick off their spring break trip. She left them with a list of numbers and told them to call if they needed anything or ran into any kind of trouble. They sat around the table for a little while after Christian's family left, enjoying the nice weather but feeling the tension amongst themselves. Everybody was aware that something was going on between Sam and Mikaela, but nobody had a clue what it was. All they knew was the couple that normally couldn't stay away from each other for longer than five seconds was no split up on both sides of the table and hadn't said a word to each other. Finally deciding he couldn't handle the awkwardness any longer, Colton cracked a joke to get everyone laughing and then suggested they get their week of irresponsible alcohol consumption started.

"Mikaela, what the hell is going on?" Sam grabbed her arm as she tried to walk past him without saying a word.

"Are you kidding me?" She laughed in disbelief.

"What the fuck did I do?"

"Don't act like you don't know," Mikaela crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm not acting. I don't have a fucking clue!" He said frustrated.

"No, there's no way you are _that_ clueless, Sam!"

"Clueless about what?" He threw his arms up in the air. "You just suddenly started ignoring me out of nowhere for no good reason so if that makes me clueless, then you're damn right I am!"

"She was all over you!" Sam looked at her dumbfounded as he thought back over the night and comprehension dawned on his face.

"Who, Kelsey?"

"Who else would it be? Nobody else is going to flirt with you right in front of me."

"Kelsey wasn't flirting with me," He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"'_I wish the boys here had arms like yours_'," Mikaela imitated Kelsey's voice and touched his arm the same way she had. "Really, Sam?"

"Well, it's not like I asked for it! I was just trying to be nice. Hell, Mikaela, I didn't even flirt back!"

"Yeah and not once did you even act like we were together! The minute she started talking to you, I didn't even exist!"

"That's bullshit and you know it," He knew he was almost shouting, but seriously what did she expect?

"_Everyone_ else noticed it Sam! Even Tate and Tyler picked up on it!"

"You're the one who decided to sit on the other side of the table and not say a word when you had the perfect opportunity to make it known we were together," Sam didn't understand why this was all his fault.

"Because I know how girls like her work. I used to be just like her! You think she didn't know there was something between us? Bullshit, Sam! She knew the whole fucking time, but she lives for drama. She knew I wouldn't say anything because we're at her parent's house. Girls like Kelsey are used to getting everything they want and doing whatever they can to get it. Saying anything or doing anything would've been me playing into her little game, and I wasn't going to disrespect Christian or her aunt and uncle like that."

"So you just decide to hell with me then and sit with Balie and Rachel?"

"She was sitting right next to you! If I'd sat by you, it would've just pissed me off that much more and I would've ended up saying something."

"Well, when her mom asked who was dating who why did you just sit there?"

"You were supposed to say it. Now you know what it looks like? It looks like I'm engaged to a man who will let another woman flirt with him right in front of me and not ever mention that I'm his fiancée!"

"How am I supposed to know that?" Sam asked.

"You just are," Mikaela said defeated. With one last look at him, she moved past him to walk inside. He threw his hands up in the air again before following after her and spinning her around by the arm.

"You know what this ring means?" He held up her left hand. "It means I love you. It means you're the one I want to spend forever with. Baby, I'm sorry I'm clueless and I'm sorry I didn't say anything. But you have to believe me. I didn't even know she was flirting with me. I'm not used to that. The whole time she was talking to me, all I could think about was how gorgeous you look and how much I wanted to kiss you. I just wanted to be nice to her and her family. That's all, I promise." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the side of her head.

"I'm sorry I kind of overreacted," She finally broke the silence that had engulfed them after his heartfelt speech.

"A little more than kind of," Sam joked and felt her pinch his side. He leaned down so his lips were next to her ear. "But it is kind of hot to see you all jealous."

"You're such a pig," Mikaela said in disgust but she was smiling. "I love you anyway though." She tilted her head up and kissed him. They shared a long kiss before Leo stuck his head out the door and hollered at them to quit making out and to get their butts inside with the rest of them.

What came next was nothing more than the imaginations of college kids when it came to alcohol. Colton and Tyler had come up with a game that was a mixture of flip cup and a variation of hide and seek. The game started off with all 10 writing down a specific location within the house. It had to be exact--like "the hall closet next to Rachel's room" rather than just "second floor" or "Rachel's room". That was intended to reduce the likelihood that two or more people would write down the same place. Then, the pieces of paper were thrown into Tyler's hat and once each had drawn a slip from the hap, the game of flip cup began. Each had to down a cup of beer before setting the cup upside down on the bar and flipping it so it landed right side up before running off to hide in whatever place was written on their slip of paper. The last person left to successfully land their cup became the seeker. Whoever was it had to send a text message to the other nine to let them know, and all phones had to be silenced to keep from accidentally revealing hiding places. The bar was home base, anyone who was found either in their hiding spot or trying to sneak back to the basement had to take a shot. If nobody was found after 10 minutes, the seeker had to take a double shot of whatever the winner of flip cup chose. This rule was created to keep the game from dragging on so long that people began to lose their buzzes. The final rule was that they had to hide in whatever place their paper said, whether it was technically a hiding place or not. If it said "rug in the living room", that's where they had to go even if they weren't hidden in any way. The basement and the third floor were off limits, but anything else inside the house was fair game.

Once everyone understood the rules to the "flip seek" game as Tate so aptly put it, they stood in a line at the bar writing down their first hiding place. Cups were filled at least halfway full of beer, anything more than that was up to the drinker and how much they wanted to chug, and Andy counted to three before the game began.

Colton was the first to land his cup, followed closely by Balie who had played the game all four years of high school. She sent a cocky wink to her boyfriend before taking off up the stairs to her designated hiding spot. Tate and Leo finished within seconds of each other and could be heard wrestling each other all the way up the stairs. Next came Sam, then Christian, and Andy with Tyler close behind. Only Mikaela and Rachel were left and they began to rush their movements when they realized how close they were to being the first seeker. It was close, but Mikaela's cup landed not even half a second before Rachel's did and she dashed off to the stairs to make it to her hiding place before Rachel had a chance to send out her text message and climb the stairs herself.

Mikaela's little slip of paper read "closet in first floor bedroom". She was relieved to not have to go so far on the first game because she was definitely not looking forward to taking a shot. The text from Rachel came through quickly, sending Mikaela's adrenaline skyrocketing. This was where it got serious. If Rachel was smart, she would search every inch of the first floor before even thinking of exploring the second. All Mikaela could hope for was to be quiet enough that Rachel somehow skipped over the closet she was in, though she knew it was a very slim chance.

Little did she know, Sam was hiding on the other side of the bed. He had seen Mikaela come in and was waiting for the text message saying who was it so he would be free to move. As soon as he received it, he didn't even look to see who it was from and crawled to the closet.

"Of all the rooms in the house, you walk into this one," He joked after sneaking in.

"You asshole," Mikaela tried to slap his arm but missed due to the darkness. "You scared the shit out of me." Sam just laughed before scooting over so he was sitting next to her and pulled her into his lap.

"Fancy meeting you here," He whispered into her ear and started kissing her neck. Mikaela's first reaction was to tilt her head back just so giving him better access and she had to bite her lip to keep from making a sound when she felt his teeth nip at the sensitive skin of her neck. Fingers sensually drew random patters on her taut stomach, teasingly climbing higher and higher but never quite making contact with her breasts. Sam felt her shift and winked at her when she turned so she straddled his lap. Mikaela caught his eyes in the dark before their lips met in a fiery kiss. Something about hiding out in a dark closet together knowing they could be discovered at any moment was a complete turn on for the couple. Sam grabbed Mikaela's bottom lip between his teeth and gave a gentle tug, hearing a breathy moan, before leaving a trail of kisses down to her chest and traced the low cut neckline of her shirt with his lips.

"Rachel's gonna--fuck Sam," Mikaela's fingers grabbed a tight hold of Sam's hair when he bit down hard on the swell of her breast. "Rachel's gonna catch us."

"Let her find us."

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" She asked referring to the shot they'd have to take for being found.

"Tequila makes you horny," Sam shrugged. "If you're horny, I don't have to sleep on the couch."

"Honey, I do believe you just earned a _second_ night on that couch," She patted his cheek condescendingly before standing up.

"Wait--what?" He scrambled to his feet after her.

"What did you expect?" Her eyes rolled. "You just admitted to basically trying to get me drunk so you could take advantage of me."

"And you're gonna tell me you didn't want to sneak up to our room and have sex five minutes ago?"

"That's completely beside the point," Mikaela argued.

"Oh is it?" Even in the darkness, she saw the devilish glint in his eyes.

"Yes," Sam pushed her into the wall and heatedly attacked her neck with his lips one more time.

"Well then, I'll take your shots for you. That way I'll be the drunk one and you can take advantage of me," Sam's lips tickled the sensitive spot on her neck as he spoke, leaving her weak in the knees from the sensation of his lips moving against her skin.

At that point, she couldn't help herself. As much as she wanted to tease him a little more, she was so turned on it felt like she would explode. She grabbed the back of his head and pulled his lips to hers. Their kiss was hardly gentle; it was taking every ounce of what little control she had not to rip his pants off and wrap her legs around his waist at that very second.

Just then, the door swung open and they jumped apart to find Rachel staring at them in shock. The other woman recovered quickly, but not before making some smartass comment about the two always "going at it like rabbits on Viagra" as she so bluntly put it. They were then left alone to straighten their clothes and try to fix their messed up hair.

Leo and Tate were already sitting at the bar when Sam and Mikaela went back and they learned that Leo had made it back safely thanks to Tate getting caught right behind him.

Christian was the first girl to reach the bar without getting caught, tearing down the stairs so fast she almost missed the last step and fell face first into the carpet. Andy arrived moments later, and began telling them of all the crazy James Bond-esque moves he'd had to pull to keep from getting caught and how many times Rachel had been oh-so-close to catching him.

Colton came in seconds before the 10 minute time limit was up. Balie and Tyler sauntered down the stairs behind Rachel, boasting to anyone who would listen that they'd beaten the clock. That left Mikaela, Sam, and Tate as the ones who had to take shots.

"I think Sam and Mikaela should have to take doubles," Rachel smirked evilly. "They were about two seconds from having sex in a closet when I found them."

Leo and Christian simply shook their heads amusedly. More than any of the others, they knew just how bad the couple was.

The others agreed with Rachel's suggestion, leading to Mikaela standing there with a double shot of Patron next to Sam and his double shot of Crown. Tate looked extremely relieved that his own shot of rum was just a single.

All 10 agreed that the game was fun, but what they really wanted was to get shit faced wasted so "flip seek" was quickly abandoned in favor of standing at the bar with a drink in hand and refills close by.

"So Mikaela," Christian spoke innocently enough but Mikaela didn't miss the mischievous grin on her best friend's face.

"What's up Chris?"

"Game of pool--loser strips and jumps into the pool naked."

"Then you might as well strip now and jump on in," She said cockily. "We both know I'm gonna win."

"Prove it," Christian taunted. "Rack 'em up."

"I've got a better idea," Mikaela winked in Sam's direction and he audibly gulped. "You and me against Balie and Rachel."

"What the hell?" Balie exclaimed. "Why the hell are we getting dragged into this?"

"Because we all know the boys are too pussy to take the bet," Mikaela mocked. Balie couldn't have provided a better opening than if it had been scripted.

"Who the hell are you calling pussy?" Tyler played right into her hands. Boys were so easy.

"All five of you," She smirked. "You gonna tell me you're man enough to take the bet and jump into the pool naked when we beat your asses?"

"Sweetheart, you girls won't beat us men," Tate taunted.

"Prove it. Rack 'em up," Mikaela repeated Christian's words from seconds earlier.

So the game began. It was six against four, but Leo sucked and Mikaela was the master at distracting Sam so those two didn't really count. Andy, though, made up for Sam and Leo easily. He was the one they would have to watch out for. Since the girls were outnumbered, their only demand was that Andy was the last guy to take his turn. Rachel, being the best pool player of the four girls, broke. Taunts flew back and forth over the table.

The girls were quickly losing. Rachel had managed to knock only one ball in. Balie and Christian had both missed horribly on their turns. On the other side, each boy had made at least one ball. Even Leo. It was soon Mikaela's turn and she at least got two solids in to get them within two balls of the guys' one but that was the best she could do. Leo and Rachel both missed their shots, and everybody in the room held their breath when Andy stood up for his turn. He sunk their last trip, but the pressure got to him and he totally missed the eight ball. It was Balie's turn once again. Christian and Mikaela's eyes locked in a silent conversation. Little did anyone else know, but the bet _had_ been planned. The winner wasn't the main point; it was what they were going to do before the game ended. Mikaela went to plug her iPhone into the jukebox while Balie lined up her second shot after making one ball and Ray J's "Sexy Can I" began to play. Christian subtly moved behind Mikaela who had moved so she was in Sam's line of sight once it was his turn. They waited until he got in position to shoot the cue ball before they began to dance provocatively in sync. Christian's hands were holding onto Mikaela's waist. Mikaela waited for Sam to look up from the cue ball and into her eyes before sensually biting her bottom lip and throwing her head back onto Christian's shoulder.

This was there the girls' plan reached its climax. Mikaela's hand angled back to tangle her fingers in Christian's hair and, even though she knew what was coming, she couldn't help but let out a small moan when Christian's lips grazed her neck in the same spot where Sam's had been not even an hour earlier. The sound made Christian's grip tighten for half a second before she took it as a sign of encouragement and moved one hand slowly up Mikaela's stomach to just below her bra. After a long moment, Mikaela lifted her head back up and fought to keep calm at the completely shocked look in Sam's eyes. Yet behind the shock, she saw pure heat in his gaze and felt a surge of satisfaction. Looking to his immediate right, she saw that Leo had an identical look on his face. They had wanted to tease the boys in a way they never had before and their facial expressions told Mikaela they had succeeded.

"Holy fuck Chris," She moaned when her best friend bit down on the pulse point just below her ear. "If you don't quit, I'm gonna be taking you to bed instead of my fiancée."

The girls kept dancing until the song was over but didn't move from their close embrace. Instead, Christian locked her arms around Mikaela's waist and rested her chin on her shoulder. They were both completely okay with what they had just done because there wasn't any sort of true sexual attraction to each other. It was all nothing more than two best friends teasing their significant others. Their friendship was close enough that they were okay with playfully flirting with each other. In the end, it would make for some mind blowing sex with their boys later that night.

"Looks like you girls get to go skinny dipping," Sam said hoarsely after finally taking his shot and getting the eight ball in. Christian and Mikaela looked at each other in utter disbelief before catching similar looks on the faces of the other two girls. While their little stunt had left everyone wide eyed in shock, it was unbelievable that Sam had managed to regain his composure so quickly and win the game on top of that.

"You told me there was no way we could lose!" Christian whined to Mikaela.

"How the hell was I supposed to know he would be able to concentrate after that?" Mikaela huffed gesturing to the spot they'd just been standing in. Sam simply winked arrogantly at his fiancée and her best friend.

"Man, if that'd been me, I probably would've been so distracted I knocked the eight ball into the cue ball and scratched," Tyler piped up from where he was standing. The other four guys silently agreed.

"Sam, I've gotta bow to the master," Andy made a show of getting on his knees and bowing at Sam's feet. "You, sir, are a badass."

"So now we have to strip and jump in the pool naked too since your fiancée is the only man on the planet who can concentrate after watching his fiancée's best friend sucking on his fiancée's neck while booty dancing," Balie stated dryly.

"I say you two get a free pass since you didn't know they tried to set us up," Colton said to Balie and Rachel.

"I'm fine with that. Mikaela?" Christian looked at the other woman, who also nodded her agreement. With that decided, everyone trudged up the stairs and out to the pool in the backyard. Eight of them stayed on the deck while the two soon to be naked women continued to the edge of the pool.

"Hold up a second," Sam jogged from the deck to the pool. "I think it's only fair that since you decided to play dirty to win the game, I get to undress you."

"Okay, you two, we don't want front row seats to some kind of kinky porn show," Andy scoffed.

Sam looked Mikaela in the eyes as he spoke up out enough for the others to hear. "Oh no, this is just payback. She wants to play dirty, I'll show her dirty."

Mikaela couldn't help but be afraid of the vindictive look in his eye. He stepped around her so he was facing the others and calmly placed his hands on her hips. The shirt came off easily enough, but then he lowered his head so she could feel his hot breath on her chest. His fingers slowly trailed down her stomach until he got to her belt and expertly unbuckled it. She wasn't ready for the hot, open-mouthed kisses that followed the path of his hands, however, and a gasp escaped her. On his knees in front of her, Sam left her jeans alone and rubbed his hands down the sides of her legs to remove her flip flops. Then, he went back to her jeans and slowly slid them down, still leaving hot kisses on her stomach. He let his lips continue lower until he reached her panty line and abruptly stopped to look up at her face. Mikaela's eyes were lidded with desire and satisfaction reverberated through his body. The same slow pace was used to slide her skimpy thong off before he got back to his feet.

A splash behind them broke them from their reverie and Sam turned to see Christian already in the pool. Without missing a beat, Sam lowered his head to her neck, claiming the spot Christian's lips had just touched, while his nimble fingers found the hook of her bra. He could feel Mikaela's heart pounding; hear her quick, shallow breaths. He wasted little time in sliding the last article of clothing off but continued to tease her neck for a second longer.

"Have a nice swim," Sam said nothing more and walked back to the deck. Mikaela turned to gape at him before quickly realizing she was completely naked in clear view of the others and jumped into the pool embarrassed.

If she thought she was turned on before, this little episode had taken her to a level she'd never even known existed before now. The cold water did nothing to alleviate the extreme heat radiating through her nerves. She was the one who had all the experience, knew all the right moves, but she'd never once managed to pull off anything like what Sam had done. Frankly, she was a little surprised she and Christian had actually gone through with it all but they had had a lot to drink.

Christian was pretty shocked herself. She had done a lot of crazy things in the past, but never something that involved kissing another girl's neck. Then again, it was spring break after all--and anything goes on spring break.


	28. Chapter 28

**I have become absolutely _horrible_ at updating, I know! I just want you guys to know that I do have every intention of finishing this story even if my updates have been very, very sporadic the last several months. Trust me, it's bugs me as much as it does you guys! I've pretty much had this chapter done for a while, but I'd been planning on making it a long one like the last few have been to make up for it taking so long to update. I know it's still very long, but not totally where I wanted it to be. However, the last couple days I've thought of (what I think is anyway) a good idea for this story and I'm pretty excited to start writing it so I decided to just finish up what I had and post it so I could get to it. I don't have all of it completely ironed out yet, but enough of an outline that I think it'll come to me as I write. **

**With all that being said, I am unashamedly begging for reviews! :) I think I only got like three on the last chapter, and although I'm still getting the occasional story/author alerts (I have to say thank you to all the ones who have signed up for alerts in the last few weeks-you guys have _definitely_ pushed me to get this chapter out), I still need my reviews to know you guys are still with me...and I'm going to make a deal: the more reviews I get, the faster I'm going to put a new chapter up. So, really, it's all up to you guys...don't let me down!**

**And, of course, as always-I own nothing related to Transformers or anything else trademarked or easily recognizable. The extra characters and plot are all products of own imagination. **Mikaela woke up the next morning on the floor in front of her and Sam's bed and it took her a moment to remember why they were there and not in the bed. The night before had involved a lot of alcohol as they had all played a bunch of drinking games with the intentions of getting as drunk as possible. At least that part of the night had gone according to plan if Mikaela's headache was anything to go off of. Sam was flat on his back next to her and their legs were all tangled together. He was still asleep which wasn't surprising at all because that boy could sleep for days if she would let him.

* * *

As plush as the carpet was, it hurt like _hell_ to sleep on. The whole left side of her body was numb from laying on it. She shifted around trying to get more comfortable, but it was no use. No matter how she laid, it was still uncomfortable. Sam, of course, was completely oblivious to it because he hadn't even moved. _Must be nice_, she thought to herself. Finally she decided to bite the bullet and just crawl in the bed even though she knew standing upright was going to make her head start pounding worse. A small part of her wanted to leave Sam where he was and not deal with trying to wake him up but even in her hung over state she didn't have the heart to be mean.

"Sam!" She said in a whisper shout and shoved his shoulder roughly. "Sam wake up!" He still didn't move at all.

"Samuel James Witwicky!" This time she put her lips right up to his ear.

"I don't wanna!" Sam spoke in a little kid's voice with his eyes still closed.

"Come on baby," Mikaela pushed on his shoulder again. "Let's get in bed." At the mention of getting in bed, his eyes slowly opened and he looked around in confusion when he noticed where they were.

"Why are we on the floor?"

"I'm guessing we passed out at some point," Sam went to turn and groaned in pain.

"Remind me again why it seemed like such a good idea to stay on the floor instead of getting back in the bed," At one point the night before Sam had fallen off the bed during some particularly rough sex and Mikaela had simply crawled down onto the floor instead of pulling him back up.

"Gotta love tequila," She mumbled reaching for his t-shirt and slipping it over her head and tossed him his boxers. None of their friends were very good about knocking before entering a bedroom and she didn't really want any of them seeing her naked again since she'd had to skinny dip in front of all of them last night.

It took them a little bit to get feeling back in all their extremities and to get rid of some of the soreness from being on the floor for so long, but they finally made it in the bed and Mikaela couldn't help but moan at the softness. Her head was on his chest listening to his heartbeat with one leg draped in between his. The house was quiet and she didn't know if it was because they were on the third floor or if everyone else was still asleep as well, but she was thankful for it. For that matter, she didn't even know what time it was. The last thing she remembered about the night before was the sun had started to come up before they'd ended up in the floor. Sam's breathing had evened out, and she almost thought he'd quickly dozed off again except that he was playing with the ends of her hair. She was physically exhausted, but her mind was wide awake behind the headache.

They'd had a lot of fun the night before. Eventually a game of truth or dare had begun, and Mikaela vaguely remembered having to make out with Christian. The girls had tried to fight it but refusal to go through with a dare meant a triple shot of Crown and neither of them wanted to spend the rest of the night throwing up after drinking that much whiskey at once. It was their own fault anyhow what with their little ploy during the pool game and Colton was just a perv who liked to see girls kissing. Mostly, though, they had all just sat around the bar talking and laughing. It was a calm way to start off what would quickly become a wild spring break.

"Sam," Mikaela said softly not sure if he was still awake or not.

"Hmm," He mumbled.

"I'm sorry," His eyes slowly opened and she could sense his confusion. "Y'know for the whole Kelsey thing."

"'Kaela it's okay," Sam tightened his arm around her.

"I shouldn't have let her get to me. I know you wouldn't do anything."

"I should've noticed what she was doing, but remember what I told you about this ring? It means I love you. And it means you're stuck with me 'cause there's a no refund policy on it. You can't give it back," He said the last part jokingly but she could see the seriousness in his eyes.

"What about exchanging it?" Mikaela teased trying to lighten the mood.

"Only when I put a wedding ring on your finger."

"Mmm, I can't wait," Her eyes turned serious. "You know you made my biggest dream come true right?"

"How's that?" Sam inquired.

"Falling in love with an amazing man, getting married, raising a family…that dream."

"Well, you're definitely right that I am amazing."

"Apparently amazing meant amazingly cocky," She said dryly.

"That's all your fault. Before you I was a bumbling idiot," He smiled crookedly.

"Oh, you still are," Mikaela kissed his cheek when he got a hurt look on his face but his lips twitched as he tried not to smile so she knew he wasn't really hurt. "But it's cute. I wouldn't have you any other way."

They both got lost in their own little world thinking about what she had said. Mikaela had always known she wanted a family. It just never seemed like it would ever happen. Her own family hadn't been that great, and part of that was the reason she wanted her own so bad. There were so many things she'd missed out on with her mother walking out when she was still just a toddler and her dad spending most of her adolescent life behind bars. The hardest part had been that she was an only child. No one else fully understood the life she'd lived or the things she'd gone through. Talking about it hadn't been an option. Her aunt and uncle had taken her in simply because she was family and she was grateful for that, but they'd never really been a part of her life. Even when he'd first gone away, she'd known her friends weren't really friends in the true meaning of the word and so she never even tried to talk to them. The first person who had cared about her enough that she let herself open up to them was Sam and she still hadn't told him everything.

Since she was an only child, she knew she wanted more than one. She'd always imagined having three or four. The oldest would be a boy who would protect the little girl she hoped to have. What she really wanted was a boy and then a set of twins—one boy and one girl. Her oldest boy would be just like his daddy and the youngest boy would be the rambunctious, fearless one. Her little girl would have a heart of gold and be a daddy's girl. In his eyes she could do no wrong, but she would be respectful and not take advantage of that. Maybe they would even have a dog. It was the perfect fantasy, and Mikaela was old enough to know that life rarely goes according to plan but she still hoped she could live out that dream with Sam.

Sam had his own wish for a family. Granted all he was dead set on was that Mikaela was a part of it. Of course he wanted kids, but it goes without saying that boys don't daydream about whether they want sons or daughters and how many of each the way girls do. He would love a little girl who was an exact replica of her mother. A little girl who would be his princess and he would go to the ends of the earth for. At the same time, a boy wouldn't be so bad. They could go fishing or camping and all the other things fathers did with their sons. He could teach him about sports. They could go to all sorts of games all around the country. Really though, as long as it was Mikaela who gave birth to his kids that's all that mattered to him.

Sam was just about to fall back to sleep when he heard their door open and the next thing he knew someone had jumped on to the bed.

"Mikaela, it's spring break! Are you ever gonna get out of bed with this loser?" Christian whined. "I wanna go to the beach!"

"Hate to break it to you but we just barely got in bed," Mikaela smirked.

"Eww, God mental picture I definitely don't want," Christian scrunched up her face disgustedly.

"No we uh…fell asleep on the floor last night."

"Speaking of last night, how about next time you keep it down? We all ended up sleeping on the first floor and we could still hear you."

"Oh whatever," Mikaela laughed in disbelief.

"Listen to this," Christian whipped out her phone and played a video she'd recorded the night before when they'd all made their way to the living room. Mikaela swore she'd never blushed as bad as she did when she heard her moans in the background.

"I didn't think we were that loud," She mumbled abashed and hid her face in Sam's side.

"Baby, _we_ weren't loud. _You_ were loud," Sam teased and she hit him in the stomach.

"Well it's your fault," He couldn't help but swell with pride at her words. Every man likes to hear they can make their significant others feel so good they can't help but scream.

"Now that we've established all that," Christian hurried to change the subject from her best friends' sex lives. "The beach?"

The guys were dumbfounded at the amount of time it took for the girls to get ready to go to the beach. It'd been over an hour since Christian broke into Sam and Mikaela's room finally dragging the two out of bed and they still weren't ready. Sam had been the last of the guys to come downstairs after changing into swim trunks, but that was only because he had jumped into the shower with Mikaela and one thing led to another.

Christian and Mikaela were both using Christian's bathroom to finish getting ready. Granted there really wasn't a whole lot of actual getting ready going on considering they were just going to the beach and would probably spend the day laying out on beach towels. Still, though, the girls refused to leave the house without the barest hint of make up or doing something to their hair. It was taking Mikaela longer to do her hair because unlike Christian, she couldn't just throw it up in a ponytail and go. The messy ponytail look didn't work for her in her opinion.

"Our boys are lucky to have us," Christian admired both of them in the mirror. She was wearing a simple, albeit rather revealing, black bikini under a tank top and shorts. Mikaela had on a skimpy red and white striped bikini with a short jean skirt on. She'd decided to forgo putting a top over her bikini mostly for the fact that she was lazy and didn't want to take it back off in 20 minutes or whenever they got to the beach.

"They damn sure are," Mikaela agreed as she finally finished curling the ends of her hair.

The air crackled with excitement once all ten were in the living room. Most of them had been to the beach before, but it was almost like they were experiencing it for the first time together. All four girls had been at least once along with Leo, Andy, and Colton having been. Sam, Tate, and Tyler had never been to the beach before, and Sam especially was excited. This had definitely been the one part of their trip he was looking forward to the most: Mikaela on the beach in a bikini. Obviously he'd seen her in a bikini before, them both being from California and all, but this was _Daytona Beach_. Not to mention that he had the sexiest fiancé in the world. What hot blooded male wouldn't be ecstatic?

When he saw Mikaela come down the stairs, he had one of those cheesy look her in the eyes and time stops and everything else fades away moments. The type of moment everyone swears only happens in movies but if they're lucky enough they get the chance to genuinely experience that once in a lifetime moment. Sam thought she'd never looked as stunning as she did right then, and it had nothing to do with her wearing nothing but a bikini, short skirt, and flip flops. It was the confident way she carried herself down the stairs and yet there was an insecure gleam in her eyes. The way she searched for him the whole way down and locked eyes with him. There was that shy little half smile she had every time she wore something new or a little bit different; the one that said all she wanted to do was impress him. It amazed him that that woman was the same woman from the night before who had teased him so mercilessly and he absolutely loved that about her.

Slowly he made his way over to the stairs despite having been in the middle of a conversation with Andy and Tyler mere moments before. She bit her lip nervously waiting for his reaction and he responded by pulling her to him and pressing his lips to hers. The kiss was neither long nor slow; passionate nor chaste. Her skin was warm when he touched her bare sides, but a shiver still ran through her. There were times when their relationship still felt so new even after almost three years.

Rachel broke them from their trance by slapping Mikaela on the ass and yelling at them to come on. They were the last ones out of the house, but it wasn't like they had all that far to go anyhow. Christian's family's beach house pretty much sat right on the water. Being in the exclusive neighborhood meant that the beach was not overly crowded, but there were still a ton of people there. The three single guys were immediately searching for gorgeous women to flirt with the second they'd stepped foot out of the house, and Sam couldn't help but laugh at their antics. Christian and Balie had conned their boys into carrying their towels and tanning oil so Leo and Andy were following the girls as they looked for a spot to lay out under the hot sun. Mikaela looked at Sam and gave him what looked to everyone else like a cute, innocent little grin but he knew her better than anyone. He shook his head in amusement before moving so that she could hop onto his back and he carried her to the beach.

Mikaela watched as their boys headed off to the beach volleyball court nearby them. It would be interesting to watch Sam play, to say the least, because she knew he had never even played regular volleyball before but all six of them were extremely competitive. If he had any say in the matter, the other five would not humiliate him. Hopefully he would pick the game up pretty quickly or he was going to be an absolute grouch.

She turned back to the conversation going on around her in time to hear Rachel whining about being the only single girl, but they all knew she would have no problem at all finding a hot, single guy…or more than one, as was usually the case. Rachel was gorgeous and she knew it; finding guys was never an issue for her as they were usually falling at her feet. Still though, it was fairly amusing to hear her complain about it considering the fact that as she was sitting there talking about it, Mikaela looked around and saw no less than four guys openly ogling her friend. As soon as Rachel stopped to take a breath, Balie quickly spoke up and started talking about the newest clothes she'd bought in an effort to shut Rachel up. The three friends knew once Rachel got started on her rants about men there would be no quieting her for a while. As much as she loved the attention she got from them, she hated men just as much. It was best to keep her off her soapbox as much as they could.

The talking slowly became more sporadic between the four women until finally it was silent as they all enjoyed the sun's hot rays beating down on their bodies. Tanning was the perfect way to relax. For once, they didn't feel the need to be constantly gossiping or talking about boys or fashion. It was enough to simply be lying out next to each other. Christian and Mikaela were turned so they could watch their boys play volleyball from behind their dark sunglasses. Mikaela couldn't help but be slightly turned on at the sight of Sam playing sports; she'd always had a thing for athletes and it was always worse with Sam because he didn't play that often. There were the occasional pickup games of basketball or football, but that was about it. He was so cute too; all sweaty and shirtless with that fiercely determined look on his face.

Christian simply rolled her eyes at her friend. She knew _exactly_ what was running through her mind at the moment and frankly she was just waiting for Mikaela to start drooling. Not that she could really give her a hard time because she was the same way, but she was able to control it better so that it wasn't so blatantly obvious to every single person within a five mile radius that she wanted nothing more than to jump Leo's bones. Although in her defense, they were still in the stage where they couldn't get enough of each other. Christian would have been content to spend the entire break locked in a bedroom with her boyfriend, but she was still glad they had come on this trip with their friends. If they happened to disappear to their room for a few hours, it was really no big deal. After all, the other two couples were bound to do the same and at some point the friends who were single would find them someone to hook up with for a night or two.

The two were soon broken from their daydreams when someone called out Christian's name. Mikaela tried to hide her displeasure when she turned around and saw Kelsey and a couple of her friends. As far as she knew, Christian had no idea her cousin was at the center of Mikaela and Sam's fight the day before and she really wanted to keep it that way. It would only cause tension if that little detail became public knowledge.

Kelsey introduced her friends to the girls and they started to lay towels down to tan with them until Tate hollered over for them to come play volleyball. Balie sidled up next to Mikaela and slung an arm around her shoulders silently conveying that she didn't want the younger girl and her friends around either; however, this trip was about them all having a good time away from Philadelphia and a couple of barely legal girls weren't going to stand in the way of that.

"And this is Leo, Andy, Tate, Colton, Tyler, and Sam," Kelsey pointed to each of the guys as she said their names and Mikaela caught Kelsey's friend giving her a sly wink when she said Sam's name. Tyler immediately started flirting with Kelsey's three friends, and it wasn't long before Colton joined in too. A couple minutes went by filled with idle chit chat and Mikaela couldn't believe Sam was acting the exact same way he had last night. He was completely ignoring her in favor of the other girls. Balie noticed her friend's growing irritation and pulled her towards Andy and Rachel.

"Hey Mikaela," They'd only gotten a few steps away when she felt Sam grab her arm and spin her around. Before she could open her mouth to say anything, his lips were on hers and his hands on her waist pulling her closer.

"What was that for?" She asked breathlessly.

"C'mon now 'Kaela, do you really think I'm that dumb?" He leaned forward and kissed her again.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" She replied smiling teasingly.

"You'd think after two and a half years you would be a little bit nicer," Sam picked her up and threw her over his shoulder and couldn't help but chuckle when she shrieked. He took off towards the water. As soon as she realized where they were going she started beating on his butt and the back of his legs trying to get him to stop. Unbeknownst to them, their group had stopped what they were doing and watched the couple, some with looks of amusement, some indifferent, and a select few looked unhappy.

As soon as Sam felt the water halfway up his calves, he stopped and slowly lifted Mikaela back over his shoulder until her legs wrapped tightly around his waist and his arms locked under her backside to support her. There was a joyful look on her face and he spun them in circles as fast as he could with the resistance of the water and without losing his balance. He felt her small hands flatten against his chest seconds before her lips met his.

"Think that makes it obvious enough?" Before she got a chance to answer, they could hear Balie hollering at them from her place by the volleyball net.

"Hey, you think you two can keep your hands off each other long enough to come play with the rest of us?"

"Well, that definitely does," Mikaela said sarcastically before flipping off her friend and leaning in to kiss Sam again just to piss her off even though she knew Balie was basically playing along.

They spent the rest of the day at the beach, only going back to the house to eat a quick lunch or grab something to drink. Now it was evening and they were all sitting in the sand relaxing after the fun day they'd had. It was starting to get dark, but nobody wanted to move. Kelsey's friends had left not long ago saying they had to get ready for a party one of their friends was throwing but Kelsey had decided she'd rather hang out with her cousin and had stayed behind. Mikaela surprisingly didn't mind, after the incident earlier that day right after the younger girl and her friends had shown up there hadn't been any indication that she had any desire to steal Sam away. Of course, the not so subtle make out session could have been the reason for that but if Mikaela was being honest, she had to admit Kelsey seemed like a great girl. Although at first glance, it seemed the two cousins were complete opposites they were very similar.

The original plan had been to spend the day at the beach and go out to a club that night, but it was starting to look like they were going to have to go to the club another night. Sam didn't really care either way. He didn't mind going out, but it wasn't as much fun since they weren't old enough to drink and he wasn't as into dancing as his fiancée was. He'd dance with her a few times, but not the entire night. It was the same for the rest of the guys. Their girls seemed to never leave the dance floor, and they rarely left whatever table they managed to claim.

"So Mikaela," She looked over at Colton and got a little scared at the evil smirk on his face. "Are we going to be able to sleep in our rooms tonight or are we looking at another slumber party in the living room?"

"Do you realize how hard it is to have sex with your boyfriend when all you can hear is some other guy's name being screamed?" Balie couldn't help it; the moment was just too priceless to pass up.

"Oh for the love of God, I'm never gonna live that down am I?" Her words were muffled by the hands she'd placed over her face.

"Well, what can I say—I'm good at what I do," Sam said confidently and got an elbow jabbed into his ribs in response.

"Don't you dare egg them on or you're sleeping on the couch."

"You said I was sleeping on the couch last night baby," He had an infuriatingly cocky smirk on his face that she _really_ just wanted to slap. "And if I remember right, we woke up on the floor."

"The floor?" Rachel laughed. "Did you not notice the big, comfy bed in the room?"

"Somebody fell off the bed," Mikaela teased. "And in my drunken state of mind, it made more sense to get on the floor with him rather than him get back in the bed and at some point that's where we fell asleep."

"Honey I don't really give a fuck where you sleep," There was an evil glint in Tyler's eyes. "As long as you keep it down so we can all sleep in our own rooms."

"I don't know why you're griping, you're already sleeping on the first floor," Sam shot back.

After the moon was high in the night sky, one by one they began to trek back to the beach house to retire to their own beds for the night. It was safe to say the beach had all worn them out completely. Tomorrow they were planning to get out of the house and explore all that Daytona Beach had to offer, and they knew they would need all the strength they could get. Some fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows and others lay in bed talking for a while before drifting off, but for eight of them they were at least lucky enough to be able to sleep in their own beds instead of escaping to the living room on the first floor to avoid listening to a certain couple go at it all night long. For one night, it seemed, in a world that was slowly spiraling downhill-small miracles do, in fact, still exist.


	29. Chapter 29

**So, I can happily point out that it hasn't even been a month since I've updated last! I know, I know, I'm only like 2 days away from it being a month but c'mon you guys can't tell me that's not better than I have been doing! I promised you guys this was about to go in a new direction...and you'll see in the first few lines that I didn't let you down. I don't know that there's a single person out there who expected this twist (frankly, neither did I until I was finishing the last chapter but I'm hoping it'll help reinspire me to not take forever getting chapters out now) but I really, really hope you guys all dig it. This story is as much for you guys as it is for me, so if anyone has any ideas feel free to share them-I'm up for anything. Put 'em in a review or send me a message, but I assure you any idea I get will be greatly appreciated and definitely considered!**

**On another note, I'd like to mention that half of my excuse in taking so long to post this chapter is because I got sidetracked by a whole new idea for a story. It takes place right after the first movie and originally it was supposed to be a prequel to this story, but it's kind of taken on a life of its own. I have no intention of it being as long as this story, and I hadn't planned on posting it until I was done (so as to avoid the months between updates as has become the norm for this one) but with the way words have been flying out of me I don't think it'll take long to finish. The main plot is how they get together, how they deal with their peers because she's popular and he's the loser, etc etc etc. Anybody interested in it? If you like this one, I think you'll love the other one...in fact, I believe I may like the new one better than this one. **

**To my favoritest sounding board, Brittany-you have no idea how tempted I was to email you for a second opinion on this chapter. I was like _thisclose_, seriously. I'm sure you probably could've given me some more amazing ideas that would've made it sooo much better (like you have with the last couple chapters...you're my freakin' hero when it comes to helpin' me out when I get stuck) but I didn't wanna ruin the new twist for you. I definitely wanna know what you think of all this and if you have any more of those amazing ideas...I have no problem begging :)**

**I am still unabashedly begging for reviews. You guys didn't let me down last time, just like I knew you wouldn't. **

**Disclaimer: Yeah, still don't own Transformers. Or anything related to the franchise. Nor do I own Harry Potter or GI Joe for that matter as they're briefly mentioned towards the end.**

**Review? Please? :)**

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"Where the fuck is she?" Sam screamed inches away from Major Lennox's face.

"Sam, calm down," Christian grabbed his arm but he yanked it away.

"_Where the fuck is she_?" He repeated menacingly and it was only a matter of time before things got violent.

"We're doing everything we can to find her," Will said calmly to his younger friend.

"If you were doing everything you could, she wouldn't be missing!"

"Sam, we're going to find her," Epps spoke up from his spot against the wall.

"Damn right you will," He growled. "Those mother fuckers have my fiancée. My future _wife_!"

"We know that Sam," Will didn't know what he'd do if the roles were reversed and couldn't even imagine how the other man was feeling. "We're gonna bring her back to you."

"She'd better come home alive," The circumstances had finally sunk in and behind his livid tone, they could see the flatness of his usually bright eyes. Everyone in that room was watching the life slowly drain from him. "So help me God, if she's not, what I do will put the Decepticons to shame."

TWENTY-THREE HOURS EARLIER

"We're gonna go shopping, 'kay baby?" Mikaela sat on the edge of the bed and reached to play with his hair.

"You're leaving me?" Sam pouted.

"Just for a couple hours."

"No," He ordered childishly pulling her down next to him.

"Sam, you're gonna mess up my clothes," She griped but still curled into his side.

"You can't go," His arm tightened around her side.

"We won't be gone long," An eye peeked open and she tilted her head to languidly kiss him.

"You're leaving me," It came out now as a statement rather than a question.

"Just for the afternoon," She reiterated. "We'll be back in time to get ready to go eat with Christian's aunt and uncle."

"You're not very nice sometimes," Sam rolled to his back when she stood up off the bed. "I just wanna spend some time with my fiancée on our last day of vacation and you're blowing me off."

"Shut up Sam," Mikaela rolled her eyes at his melodramatics. "I'll see you in a little bit and if you're good, I'll make it up to you tonight."

"Yeah, yeah," He was still pouting. "Go on then."

"I love you baby," She kissed him again. "I'll call you in a little while."

"I don't like you very much right now," He muttered but the smile on his face told her he was just playing around.

The boys were content to spend their woman-free afternoon being lazy and lounging around the house until Colton mocked them for acting like losers while the girls were having all the fun. It took them a little while to decide what to do, but then Andy remembered it was spring break and they were in Florida: that meant spring training games all over the state.

Sam found the schedule on his phone and they figured out there was a game between Washington and St. Louis about an hour away in Viera. None of them were avid fans of either team, but Florida and Arizona were the only two places spring training games were played so they decided to go anyway. It was worth driving for an hour just to be able to say they'd been.

The game started at 1:05 and it was just barely after 11 so they had plenty of time to get there. Even with traffic after the game, the latest they should get back to the beach house was 6:30 and that still left them more than enough time to get ready to go out to eat that night.

Leo texted Christian to tell them their plans and let the girls know they'd see them when they got back. Bringing two vehicles suddenly seemed like a genius idea and fortunately the girls had taken the Camaro leaving Tate's SUV.

"She said we better be back on time or I'm sleeping on the couch and I'm cut off for a month," Leo read his girlfriend's reply aloud to the boys.

Colton's quick calculations told them they had 15 minutes until they absolutely had to be on the road if they wanted to make it before the first pitch. With a semi-serious threat that anyone not ready by then would get left behind, they all dispersed to their rooms to change clothes.

By the time Leo had texted, the girls had already begun to do significant damage to their bank accounts. One of them was constantly pulling the others into one store or another. Any store with cute shoes was an automatic stop-Balie had a shoe collection that could rival even the most ardent collector.

"Have you and Sam set a date yet?" Rachel inquired randomly.

"We're thinking October or November," Mikaela answered distracted by the top she'd pulled from the rack and held it against her for Rachel's opinion. "What do you think? We're gonna do it in LA."

"It looks okay," She said not totally convinced. "That red isn't really your color."

"Eh, I think you're right," The aforementioned shirt was put back on the rack.

"Won't that be hard having the wedding in the fall when you're at school on the other side of the country?" Balie joined the conversation.

"That's what I'm afraid of," She admitted. "We could do it towards the end of June or in July, but I'm afraid that's too soon."

"You're either gonna be rushed to get it done or you're going to end up flying nonstop cross country every weekend," Christian pointed out. "You can't plan a wedding over the phone."

"By the way, you're my maid of honor," Mikaela told Christian offhandedly. It wasn't the traditional way to tell somebody that, but nothing in her life over the last two years could be called normal as it was. Plus, Christian had a tendency of being slow sometimes and she wanted to see how long it would take for her best friend to comprehend what she'd so casually said.

"Well, duh," Christian laughed distractedly. Her concentration was solely on the two skirts held in her hands. Balie and Rachel snickered at her lack of attention to the big bomb that had just been dropped on her.

"So we gotta start looking for dresses," Mikaela added.

"Of course," Christian was still clueless.

Mikaela and the other two shared an amused look and went back to looking at clothes. They were curious to see how long before it dawned on Christian and she freaked out.

Christian obliviously went off to the dressing rooms to try on the pants and shirts she'd picked out. All Mikaela could do was shake her head at the other woman's blondeness. She wasn't offended by Christian's unintentional blow off; actually, she'd hoped for it. Nothing was more entertaining than making fun of her friend and her knack for being extremely dense at times.

Mikaela was trying to call Sam when the door to Christian's dressing room flew open and slammed into another door. The sudden loud noise caused them all to jump a foot in the air or more and they looked over to see Christian standing there in just her bra and jeans with pure disbelief written all over her face.

Rachel looked at Balie who smirked at Mikaela. So the words 'maid of honor' _had_ finally registered in Christian's brain after all.

"I'm your what?" Her voice sounded just as shocked as her face looked.

"The maid of honor, dumb ass," She said dryly.

"Me?"

"Yes, Christian, you," Her words were slow and drawn out as if directed towards a three year old.

"Oh my God Mik!" Christian shrieked running and throwing her arms around the other girl's neck not even caring that she was half naked for the dozen or so strangers spread out all over the store to see.

"Took you long enough," Mikaela said teasingly.

"Shut up," Christian pinched her half-heartedly. "Maid of honor?"

"Yes!" Balie cut in exasperatedly.

"Hey, be nice to the stupid one," Rachel quipped.

"Don't be a bitch," Christian snapped playfully. "So what if I'm occasionally slow?"

"Yeah, if occasionally is synonymous with all the freaking time," Rachel said sardonically.

"Okay you two," Mikaela laughed and stepped between them to break up their banter. "That's enough. Chris, put a shirt on before that guy over there gets the shit beat out of him by his girl for staring at some random chick's tits."

"Oh fuck," Christian's face reddened and the door slamming shut was almost as loud as it was flying open.

"That was fucking priceless," Balie gasped through the laughter shaking her entire body.

When she emerged from the dressing room, fully dressed this time, and saw her three friends still laughing at her, all Christian could do was roll her eyes and shoot them dirty looks. It would be a while yet before they ever let her live this one down.

Space Coast Stadium looked much like what any other semiprofessional baseball stadium would look. Not to say it looked decrepit or anything of the like, but it obviously held none of the lavishness or expansiveness the major league parks had. Leo mentioned as they were walking in that even the Houston Astros' Double A team, the Corpus Christi Hooks, had a nicer stadium to which Colton and Tyler, being from East Texas, quickly agreed.

The state of the stadium was of little importance. They'd come to watch a baseball game, not watch the stadium. As long as their seats weren't cracked or broken, that's all that mattered.

All of them agreed on springing for the best seats. The trip to Daytona Beach had been planned since early January so they'd all saved up quite a bit of money, but since they hadn't really gone out and done anything they still had a lot of it left. Why they decided to drive 16 hours to stay in and drink all night instead of just staying at home and doing it was unclear, but they'd made some unforgettable memories regardless. Kind of like the night before when the guys had lost a bet and been sentenced to wearing nothing but the skimpiest bras and ladies' underwear Balie and Christian had gone out and bought specifically for that reason. A vow of secrecy had been sworn on all of them, but picture after picture had been taken and the guys knew it was a matter of time before one of them got leaked.

"Man, why didn't we do shit like this all week?" Tyler propped his feet up on the empty seat in front of him. "No blurry nights, no feeling like shit the whole next day…no thongs…"

"No fucking kidding," Andy agreed. "I love Balie and all, but I'm never ever making another bet with her where losing leads to me in a bra or thong."

A nod of each other man's head assented his agreement, and they quieted as they focused on the game that had just begun in front of them. It was simpler like this; just hanging out with the guys without having to worry about paying enough attention to their girlfriends, or fiancée in Sam's case, to keep them from getting upset about being ignored. Granted the girls were laidback enough that they generally didn't get mad about that, but the lack of estrogen after being surrounded by it all week was a blessing.

The game started off at a decent pace. There weren't a lot of hits on either side as both pitchers were on point, and Sam was enthralled. Pitchers' duels were always the most intense especially with the opportunity of the rare no hitter or even rarer perfect game. Maybe it was just a meaningless spring training game, but for him it was still baseball.

By the fourth inning, St. Louis's pitcher had yet to allow any of the Nationals hitters on base. At some point he'd silenced his phone; Sam wasn't trying to ignore Mikaela's call but rather focus all of his concentration on the game in front of him. He didn't want to miss a second of the potential perfect game.

Little did he know in the coming hours he would be beating himself up for his decision.

"Whoever came up with this idea is a fucking genius," Andy said smugly.

"Yes, we all bow down to your intelligence," Tate said dryly and threw his empty water bottle at the other man.

"Dude, don't make his head any bigger, _Tater Cakes_," Tyler groaned.

"You sound like a fruit cake when you call me that," Tate looked around to see if anyone had heard. "Careful or some hot girl's gonna think you're gay and she's gonna wanna take you shopping."

Tyler huffed at the insinuation and refused to say anything else. Tate smirked proudly at getting the last word.

Andy and Tate got up after a while to go get a beer. It was Tate's first time buying a beer since he'd turned 21 at the beginning of their trip. So far, it had been Andy who had run out to by beer or liquor when they'd run out, but he'd only had to go once because Christian's family had left it completely stocked of every kind of alcohol they could think of.

"Nice to not be the only one old enough anymore," Andy said when they got in line to buy drinks.

"Drives the guys crazy when you can drink and they can't," Tate laughed. "I'm glad I'm not Sam. He's gonna have to deal with it for two more years."

"Poor kid," They shared a laugh at Sam's expense.

When they got back, the tension among their friends had escalated and looking out towards the field they understood why. One of Washington's players had hit a long ball that looked like it was undoubtedly going over the fence, but St. Louis's outfielder timed his jump just right and snagged the ball from the front row of the outfield seats just as the two men sat back down.

At the speed the game was going, they were definitely going to make it back on time. The 9th inning was just beginning and Washington had yet to make it on base. Sam was on the edge of his seat. With St. Louis being the home team, there were only three outs left in the game as long as the Nationals hitters didn't suddenly wake up and figure out how to hit off the pitcher.

They didn't, and the game was over less than 15 minutes later. There was no overjoyed celebration at the pitcher's mound, hardly any recognition was given to the feat; after all, it was still only a meaningless spring training game. However, to Sam it was just like a regular game. Spring training or not, perfect games were still rare. The hour and a half drive back and forth was worth it to see a good, close game like that.

The boys had been home for 20 minutes when they heard the girls' laughter and excited voices alert them to their return. Christian was telling the other girls about some guy who'd hit on her when she went to the bathroom, but she stopped abruptly when she walked into the living room where they were all sitting watching TV.

"What are you doing here Sam?" She asked confused.

"Where else am I supposed to be?" Sam turned to her not understanding and was the first of the guys to notice there were only three girls standing there. "Wait…where's Mikaela?"

"What do you mean where's Mikaela?" Christian asked giving him a look that said she thought he was stupid. "You just picked her up like an hour ago."

"We weren't even here," He gave her the same look. "How could I pick her up when we were on the way back from the game?"

"She said you texted her and wanted to hang out together before we went to eat."

"No, I haven't talked to her since you all left this morning," He pulled out his phone to show her he hadn't texted his fiancée and was just about to hand it over when it started ringing.

"_Sam, when was the last time you saw Mikaela?_" Will's voice was panicked on the other line.

"This morning, why?" He locked eyes with Christian and Leo. "What's going on Will?"

"_You're not going to like this Sam_," A sense of dread settled in the younger man's stomach at the somber tone of voice. "_We have reason to believe she's been kidnapped_."

"What?"

"_There's been Decepticon activity lately_."

"What does that have to do with her?"

"_We think they have her_."

"Lennox, you'd better be fucking kidding me!" Sam was pacing the living room much to the confusion of all but two in the room.

"_There was no way to anticipate this_," Will said stoically. "_We're not sure why they have her_."

"They're after me you fucking dumbass!" None of the others in the room had ever seen him so enraged. "Did you not think it was important to tell us there was a threat?"

"_We didn't know there was. All the activity was in Florida and there was very little of it and since you're in Philadelphia there was no reason to inform you yet._"

"We're in fucking Florida!" Leo could see the wild fire burning in his best friend's eyes and he knew more than anyone else how serious things were about to get. "Where is she Will? Where do they have her?"

"_We haven't figured that out yet_," Will answered hesitantly.

"I'm on my way. So help me God Will…" The threat went unfinished as Sam ended the call, but everyone who heard it knew it was serious.

"What's going on Sam?" Christian asked fearfully.

"I've gotta get to Jersey," He was still pacing.

"Does that mean…" Leo didn't finish his question.

"Yes, that's exactly what it fucking means," Sam snarled.

"Could somebody explain to the rest of us what the hell is going on?" Balie interrupted.

"Mikaela's been kidnapped. Because of some shit we're involved in and some…" Sam trailed off trying to find the right word. "People are using her to get to me."

"Like the mafia?" Colton couldn't help but laugh and before they knew it Sam had him thrown up against the wall and was in his face.

"This isn't a fucking joke," Sam tightened his hand around his friend's neck unable to control the emotions coursing through him. "My fiancée has been fucking kidnapped!"

"Sam, bro, let go," Leo rushed to pull him off. "Don't do this. We need to get to Jersey. He doesn't know what's going on."

"Okay, obviously some shit has come up," Christian spoke up. "Me, Sam, and Leo have to go. We can't explain it nor do we have time. You guys can just stay here and leave tomorrow as planned or whatever, but dinner with my aunt and uncle is definitely cancelled."

"Just keep us updated please?" Balie pleaded. "At least as much as you can. She's our friend too."

"We will," Christian promised. "I'll call you as soon as there's something I can tell you."

The 17 hour drive from Daytona Beach to New Jersey had been made in almost total silence. Sam hadn't uttered a sound since hanging up on Will. Neither Christian or Leo had much to say; other than discussing directions and Christian's somewhat naïve question to her boyfriend about how bad the situation was, there wasn't anything else to say.

It wasn't until they were barely out of Daytona Beach that Sam had noticed the voicemail on his phone from Mikaela when she'd called him and he'd had his phone on silent while they were at the game.

"Hey baby, I guess you're busy with the boys and didn't hear your phone," Her voice was melodic and happy. "I miss you…how cheesy have we become if it's only been a couple hours and I'm already dying to see you again? Anyway, I just wanted to call and tell you that and I can't wait to see you. I hope you're having fun at the game. I love you baby."

Every couple of minutes he'd replayed the message, until he must've listened to it a thousand times by the time they got to New Jersey. It was the only movement he made: hitting his voicemail button, hanging up the phone when it was over, and then repeating the same two steps. He hadn't cried, hadn't spoken, hadn't even seemed to _blink_. The same unreadable look had been on his face the entire time.

They'd had no trouble whatsoever entering the base. Their presence had been anticipated; the guards at the gate having been informed some 18 hours before. The first emotion Sam showed was the hurry in which he took getting out of the car and into the hangar where Lennox, Epps, and the Autobots were waiting for the three young adults.

"Sam, I'm glad you three made it safely," Will stood to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Cut the bullshit, Lennox," Sam spat out. "Is there any new information?"

"The Decepticons do have her Mr. Witwicky," Optimus Prime answered solemnly.

"Like Starscream and Megatron have her?" Leo asked fearfully.

"Kind of," Epps cut in. "You've seen the GI Joe movie right?"

"What the hell kind of question is that?" Sam said outraged. Epps ignored the outburst and continued.

"It's kind of like a cross between the Neo Vipers and the Imperius Curse in Harry Potter," He looked a little sheepish about knowing a specific curse from the children's fantasy series but they all knew he had kids that liked it. "The Decepticons captured a handful of humans and implanted something in their brain. I say it's a mix between the two because they're completely normal most of the time unless the Decepticons are using them but they can't fight back when they're being used. The Decepticons have complete control over their actions."

"So then can't you just follow the Decepticon activity to find them?" Christian asked.

"That's where it gets difficult," Will sighed. "Whatever they're using to control these people is completely undetectable. Not only that, but they can control them from a distance. Whatever Decepticon is the mastermind behind this, he's not in the same location. The only reason we know this is because we managed to capture one of the humans back, but the device on his brain was completely wiped. It fried his brain, but we couldn't get to it before they realized we had him so we have no idea what was on it."

"How do you know these…whatever they are have her?"

"They sent us…uh, a video," It was the first time anyone had ever seen Major Lennox falter.

"Show me," Sam finally spoke again.

"Sam, I don't know…" Will started but was cut off.

"Show me," He repeated with a deadly tone of voice.

A look was shared between Will and Optimus before the leader of the Autobots finally nodded resolutely and he queued up the video feed. It was grainy as it started, but once the picture cleared up Sam's eyes were glued to the figure in the background chained to the wall. He could hear her sobbing and watched helplessly as she pleaded with somebody off screen to let her go. There was nothing he could do as he watched another person enter the frame and start whipping her with what looked like some kind of rope. His blood boiled to the degree he didn't know how his skin didn't melt right off, and he felt as if he was a caged animal waiting to escape.

"Got your attention now, don't we Witwicky?" A second man entered the picture. "How's it feel being on the other side? The Decepticons aren't happy about all the inconvenience you've caused them. How has a mere human managed to thwart their plans not once but twice? Their revenge will be sweet, I assure you."

A hand reached out to pick up the camera from where it was sitting and he walked it over to where the first man was still mercilessly beating Mikaela.

"She's sure a feisty thing," The man holding the camera laughed evilly.

"Sam," Mikaela cried out looking into the camera. "Baby, I'm so sorry. I had no idea…I thought it was you! God, Sam, I love you so much. I wish you knew how much…I wish I'd shown you. No matter what happens Sam, you'll always have my heart. If we ever get the chance, I can't wait walk down that aisle and see you waiting for me. There's nothing I want more than to be your wife, but baby I swear to God I'll always love you…even if you can't save me. Hurry Sam, I need you…I need you to find me baby; we've still got all those dreams we made to make come true."

"Isn't that the sweetest thing you've ever heard, Witwicky?" The camera flipped around so that it was back on the second man. "Y'know, I'm kind of enjoying this so much I'm gonna let you wonder whether she's alive or dead. If you ever manage to find where we are, that ought to be a nice little surprise for you. How will you sleep at night…wondering if your fiancée is still breathing or if we've killed her? Wondering if she's safe, or if she's hurt…how will all these unanswered questions keep you from going insane? Game on, Witwicky. Only I know if you're gonna win or lose…"

That sinister laugh was the last thing they heard as the video faded to black. Everyone's eyes were on Sam who was still staring at the monitor as if it could give him all the answers he needed. There was no warning before he snapped and threw a chair through the monitor, shards of glass and plastic exploding into the air. His eyes were wild with fury as he searched for the man in charge.

"Where the fuck is she?" Sam screamed inches away from Major Lennox's face.

"Sam, calm down," Christian grabbed his arm but he yanked it away.

"_Where the fuck is she_?" He repeated menacingly and it was only a matter of time before things got violent.

"We're doing everything we can to find her," Will said calmly to his younger friend.

"If you were doing everything you could, she wouldn't be missing!"

"Sam, we're going to find her," Epps spoke up from his spot against the wall.

"Damn right you will," He growled. "Those mother fuckers have my fiancée. My future _wife_!"

"We know that Sam," Will didn't know what he'd do if the roles were reversed and couldn't even imagine how the other man was feeling. "We're gonna bring her back to you."

"She'd better come home alive," The circumstances had finally sunk in and behind his livid tone, they could see the flatness of his usually bright eyes. Everyone in that room was watching the life slowly drain from him. "So help me God, if she's not, what I do will put the Decepticons to shame."


	30. Chapter 30

**I'm getting really good at this whole updating 2 days before it's been a month since the last update...and I assure you, it's not on purpose. If I could bang out chapters once a week like I was originally doing, I would be so completely stoked you wouldn't believe it. I have no idea why I can't seem to get rid of this writer's block I've been dealing with for the last 8 months or so, but it's driving me insane. I actually had over half this chapter written the night I posted the last chapter, and then I went to bed and when I woke up...allllll of my ideas were gone. So it's taken me _forever_ to be able to finish it. I hope it's not too terribly obvious that the first half came so easy and I struggled with the other half. **

**Either way, I hope you guys like it. I'm starting on the next chapter as soon as I post this one, and I really, really, really hope I can crank this one out and get it up quicker 'cause you guys definitely deserve it. You all are the best readers everrrrrrr :) I pretty much know what I want to do and where I want to go with the next one, so maybe I'll get lucky. **

**Yep, I'm still shamefully begging for reviews. You know you guys love it when I beg!**

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_Three months._

94 days, seven hours, and 46 minutes since Mikaela had been seen.

Sam was beyond consolation at this point. He still believed in his heart that she was still alive somewhere out there. Anything else was unacceptable. Several others had lost hope; there was no way the Decepticons would let her live this long under their control. Nobody dared mention their hopelessness in front of Sam; they knew his mind was fragile enough.

Christian and Leo had gone back to Philadelphia after the first week. Sam had basically ordered them to go. He didn't want them failing all their classes—it wasn't fair to them. The drive back and forth was only an hour and a half, so they came back every weekend as soon as they were both done with classes on Friday.

_12 close calls._

12 times they'd been so sure they'd figured out where Mikaela was being held hostage. Each time they'd followed the same routine, used the same strategy, and ambushed the location the exact same way. Yet every time it ended the same way: no Mikaela. No sign of Mikaela or any of the Neo Decepticon thugs. Every single mission ended up being a dead end, and with each dead end more and more hope was lost.

After the first, Sam was barred from going with the soldiers. He'd been ordered up, down, and sideways before they left the first time to not rush ahead of the soldiers and the Autobots into the house they'd originally believed held their hostage but as soon as they'd gotten close enough, he'd done exactly that. Fortunately for them, there hadn't been any threat in the end or they would have had a dead Sam and still missing Mikaela.

The second through sixth times, Ratchet had actually had to sedate Sam because he refused to sit back and stay at the base while everyone else was on a mission to find his fiancée. Finally, though, Will had sat him down and had a long, serious talk about it being safer for everyone involved if Sam wasn't present. He finally realized that both he and his fiancée were safer if he didn't tag along. That didn't mean he took the order easily; when the soldiers left on another hunch, he paced the hanger restlessly until they returned.

_Four videos._

For the first month, they'd sent a video each week at the same time on the same day that was almost identical to the first. The drone would belittle Sam and mock him for not having found his fiancée yet, then the camera would pan to Mikaela who would beg and plead for Sam to find her in amongst her repeated 'I love you's and 'I'm so sorry's. They would be forced to watch as the second drone beat her or tortured her in some inventive new way. Each video featured a new weapon, a new pain, and Sam couldn't help retching after every one of them. The love of his life was going through an unspeakable, inhumane experience all because of what he'd done. The videos caused him to absolutely despise himself. She'd done nothing to deserve what was happening to her.

The fourth video ended with the promise that it was the final one. Originally, there was only supposed to be the one video but the drones enjoyed what they knew was complete and utter despair by forcing Sam to watch the videos that they'd had to send the new ones. Once they'd gotten their kicks out of it, they'd decided they'd go back to making Sam, the soldiers, and the Autobots wonder endlessly whether or not their loved one was alive. The images from the videos haunted their thoughts, and seldom of them managed to sleep through a whole night. Every one of them was plagued with nightmares, Sam obviously being the worst.

The last two weeks, Sam had been secretly scouring through the information the soldiers and Autobots had managed to put together. At night, when all the others were asleep in their bunks or recharging in one of the other hangars, he was poring through papers and notes and computerized information under the littlest amount of light necessary. Sleep didn't come anymore; not when he spent the nights barely falling into a light doze before the nightmares hit and he woke up in a cold sweat before spending the next hour or two puking up what little was in his stomach.

He was weakening by the minute, and he knew it, but it was nothing compared to what Mikaela was experiencing. Somehow, someway he would figure out where she was and his sheer will to find her and bring her home alive would give him strength enough to do it.

From the moment the first video started, he'd felt a sense of familiarity with the room. In some part of his mind, he _knew_ where they were keeping her. No matter how hard he tried, how many times he reread the same information over and over and over—the answer wouldn't come to him. That was, perhaps, the hardest part of it all. If only he could just remember where he knew that room from, they could find her and rescue her from the hell she was enduring. It was his fault she was there in the first place, and it was his fault she was still there three agonizingly long months later. Every bruise she had, every tear she cried, every single ounce of pain they inflicted upon her…he'd caused it. He'd put her there by the decisions he'd made. They were toying with him. They knew he'd know that room. He could save her instead of letting her down every second that passed by with them separated. _If only he could remember where he'd seen that fucking room before. _

All she knew was light and dark. Numbness had long since consumed her. After the first month, she'd lost all semblance of time. The only reason she'd been aware that length of time had passed was because of the videos these…things kept sending to the base in New Jersey. From the hushed conversations between the two men who'd guarded her, she knew they were in a place Sam had been before. She had no idea where that place was since they'd blindfolded her throughout the whole ride here. The windows in the room were boarded up, but even if she'd known their exact location there was no way for her to get the message to Sam without them knowing and her death would be immediate.

The beatings weren't as bad as the videos portrayed them to be, although they were still beatings. Whenever the camera was off, they generally just took turns slapping her around and kicking her a few times and occasionally brought out the leather whip. The videos had held more sadistic means of torture simply to affect Sam more. She tried not to think about those times, but like Sam her nights were wrought with nightmares.

Whatever these…humans were, they knew at the very least they had to feed her the barest amount of food and give her water. At this point, she truly believed they had no desire to kill her unless they absolutely had to. No, she was a trap to get the soldiers and the Autobots and, most of all, Sam to come to them. Their lives were the end game, she was just a pawn.

All that kept her sane was the memories she had. Thoughts of Sam kept her from succumbing to the pain and allowing it to consume her to the point it literally drove her crazy.

Their first kiss.

Their first date.

The first time they'd made love.

The first time they exchanged 'I love you's.

The first time they exchanged 'I love you's when he hadn't just almost died.

The night he'd proposed to her.

The week they'd spent in Daytona Beach.

God, if she'd have known what was coming she never would have gotten mad about Kelsey. Looking back now, it was such an insignificant and stupid thing to get upset over and fight with him about. If she could just see him now, she'd kiss him and tell him how much she loved him and that she didn't blame him for any of this. She knew him inside and out, and there was no doubt in her mind he'd spent this entire time she'd been kidnapped blaming himself for what was happening to her.

The thugs were back. They disappeared every now and then to do who knows what, but she was completely tied up so there was no way for her to escape. She'd already tried. In the beginning, they'd simply tied her up with duct tape and a rope but it hadn't taken her long to break through that. When they'd figured it out, they'd beat her with a dog chain until she'd passed out from the pain. It had been hard enough to hurt, but not so heavy of a chain that it broke bones or caused any major damage. After that incident, they'd chained her up with a thick chain and there was no way she could break the links that bound her.

She could hear them talking in hushed voices to each other, and her ears perked up at the mention of a four letter word that was the clue her boy needed to find her. It was the be all and end all of all of this madness; she had to find some way to get the message to him without them knowing so they could find her.

Mikaela knew now exactly where they were and it was the one place she knew Sam would never think to look.

The camera turned on, and the lens focused on one of the men. It was the same one who talked every single time.

"Miss me yet, Witwicky?" He laughed evilly. That damn laugh would likely haunt her until the day she died. "You're getting closer. That makes, what, 12 unsuccessful tries? I would think by now your ingenious military could have found our location, but I guess it's not so infallible after all. I have to say I've greatly enjoyed watching you fail miserably every single time, but it's gotten a little boring. Where's your fire? Where's your passion? I haven't seen you on any of the missions since that first one. Have you given up now? Decided she wasn't worth it after all? Your lovely little fiancée has been surprisingly strong. She doesn't even cry anymore when we beat her. Oh yes, you'll be glad to know she's still alive. Have a look at her if you don't believe me."

He picked up the camera and crossed the room until he stood right in front of her.

"Don't worry, my friend, we won't force you to sit through watching her suffer any longer," The second man spoke into the camera with a malicious smirk on his face only she could see. "Go on, honey, beg and plead for that man of yours to come save you but I wouldn't waste too much breath because he hasn't found you yet. How much could he possibly love you if he hasn't managed to find you here in the most obvious of places?"

"Sam, baby…God, I love you so much. I know you're still looking for me. I know you haven't given up. I can't wait to see you again, and I know I will. None of this is your fault, alright?" She paused a moment to keep her tears at bay and looked directly into the camera. "No matter what happens, I'm really glad I got in that car with you. I love you baby, I need you to be strong for me okay? You've gotta stay strong."

"Well isn't that sweet?" The second man mocked and turned the camera so that it faced him. "Here's the deal, Witwicky. We've been gracious enough to keep her alive this long to give you a chance to find her and see her one last time before we kill you and those stupid Autobot friends of yours, but our patience is gone. You have 24 hours…if we don't see you by then, the girl is dead. We told you this in the beginning…game on, Witwicky. Only we know if you're going to win or lose. What's it going to be?"

The recording stopped and was soon transmitted to the military's feed. All that was left to do was wait. The threat was real; she could feel it in her bones.

Mikaela was left with only the remaining thought that if Sam and the rest didn't come barging down the door in the next 24 hours, they would have lost out on the last chance they ever had to talk…all because he didn't answer his phone.

Sam was just about done with his hidden research for the night when the video feed was received. It was such a shock to finally get another one that he couldn't help but freeze. A part of him was terrified to watch the video: the way these things were controlled by the Decepticons, there was no telling what he would see. At the same time, the chance to finally have some sort of concrete evidence after two months of uncertainty was almost too much too resist.

He just didn't know if he was ready to find out they'd killed her.

"Hey, wake up," He said softly minutes later after coming to a decision. He had to see that video, but he couldn't do it alone.

"What are you doing here Sam?" A glance at the red numbers on the digital clock beside the bed displayed the wee hours of the morning. "It's 3:30 in the morning."

"You need to get up right now."

"Why?"

"'Cause it's really important."

"What's going on Sam?"

"Another video just came through."

"What?" The other person shot up in bed now fully wide awake.

"I haven't seen it yet," He answered the unasked question. "I can't watch it alone."

They retreated quietly out of the room so as not to wake anyone else. Back in the hangar, the screen was frozen on a picture of the man who had haunted their every unspoken thought. What could he possibly want now, two months after stating plainly there would be no more videos?

"What if she's dead?" He asked softly and there was more fear in his eyes than they'd seen before. "Christian, I can't live without her."

"She's gonna be okay, honey," Christian said softly and placed a hand on his arm. "We're gonna find her and bring her back."

"What if she hates me? It's my fault for all of this."

"You couldn't predict this Sam, none of us could. She knows that," She said seriously and motioned towards the monitor. "Let's just watch the video and then we'll talk okay?"

Sam slowly nodded and sat down on a chair. Christian quietly took control and started the video. The tension was rolling off of him in waves as the first Neo Decepticon began to speak. As he began to question his love for Mikaela, Sam grabbed the edge of the table so hard his knuckles whitened almost instantly. Christian half expected another chair to go flying through the just replaced computer screen, but she guessed that was why he was holding onto the table for dear life.

She felt, more than heard, him release the breath he was holding when they finally learned she was still alive. Both sets of eyes lit up when Mikaela's face filled the frame despite the fact that her face was more gaunt than they'd ever seen it. Of course, that was to be expected but Sam couldn't help the pang of relief that she at least looked somewhat healthy considering the situation she was in.

Tears streamed down his face unashamedly. There was really no other reaction he could emit. Finally, they had proof Mikaela was still alive. They were no longer giving every waking moment of their lives to hunting down a body that may or may not be alive; now, they were fighting to save a life.

The 24 hour time limit likely gave the Decepticons a false sense of security by thinking the momentum had shifted to their side, but their careless decision to give away their biggest bargaining chip—whether or not Mikaela was still alive—nullified the advantage they gained by threatening Sam and the others to find them in a day or she would die. They had the strategy all planned out and deciphering the location would likely not cause any major changes. Again they were back at square one trying to determine where they were keeping her, but the daunting task of figuring it out in the next couple of hours only heightened their motivation.

"Epps and Lennox need to see this," Christian finally said.

"I know," He agreed. "Go wake up Leo and have him get everybody else."

While Christian disappeared to do just that, Sam replayed all five of the videos focusing, this time, on the room and every little detail. Somewhere in amongst everything going on, there had to be a clue that would tell him where they were.

Will, Robert, Leo, and Christian sat atop the elevated desk with the Autobots surrounding them. It'd been an hour since the video had been received and every minute following had been dedicated to going back over all of the information they had and reviewing briefs from the 12 failed missions trying to find anything that may have originally been overlooked.

"We've searched the entire state of Florida and every other place there's been some sort of activity in the last six months," Christian said tiredly. "How have they managed to virtually disappear and hold her hostage completely undetected by the most advanced technology available in the world? How can we possibly find her in 24 hours if you can't find any kind of clue to lead us to her?"

"We're going to find her," Will's voice had the same tired edge to it.

"How are you going to do that?" She pushed. "You couldn't even protect them."

"Baby, calm down," Leo reached for his girlfriend. "They couldn't prevent this. The Decepticons were one step ahead this time and they knew they could pull it off. These guys are doing everything they can to find her. Every one of them has put their life on hold for the last three months to spend every waking moment searching for Mikaela."

"They're supposed to be getting married in like a month," Christian angrily tossed down the pen she was fiddling with and stood up. "But now we don't even know if she'll be alive to walk down the aisle because you're too incompetent to do your job and keep her safe."

The three men watched in shock as the young woman stalked off after her angry outburst. It was the first such reaction she'd had. So far, she'd managed to stay relatively calm and collected given the whole situation, but it seemed it'd finally become too much.

"I'm sorry," Leo was the first to regain his bearings and apologized on behalf of his girlfriend. "She didn't mean it. She's just upset and stressed."

"It's okay," Epps spoke up and it was obvious the two men were hurt by the angry remark but they both understood. "Christian's been tough this entire time. To be honest, I've been expecting something like this for a while. She and Mikaela are almost like sisters despite the short time they've known each other and she's still relatively new to all this."

"He's right Leo," Will agreed. "Don't worry. I know she's just worried we won't find her in time. I'll talk to her."

Will's shoulders were hunched as he followed Christian's footsteps out of the hangar. The success or failure of this mission rested on his shoulders and his alone. Sure, the others were just as involved as he, but he was the leader.

In all his time in the military, no other moment had ever held such significance. At no other point had he put his entire life so completely on hold in order to insure he made absolutely no mistakes. It wasn't as if this was the most important mission he'd ever had per say, but it was the only one that had ever hit so close to home. The battles in Mission City and Egypt had been more important in terms of the fate of the world and the human race being at stake, but this was a direct attack on people that he deeply cared about.

It was times like this he missed psychotic terrorists and suicide bombers. With them, at least they knew what to expect. They knew how defend that type of threat. They were trained to defend against attacks like that. Throw in some super advanced robots and, even two years later, it was still all so…_new_. New information was learned every day. Just when they thought they were finally getting to the point it didn't feel like they weren't fighting completely blind, the Decepticons just had to throw this whole new weapon at them.

Three and a half months of intense, nonstop research and they still knew virtually nothing about these Neo Decepticons. Ninety percent of the men and women on base had been delegated solely to this one thing. The Autobots were working just as hard, if not more so considering the sheer amount of information they had that the humans did not have yet.

Now they weren't just fighting against some untraceable, totally undetectable, foe…they were fighting against time.

"Leo, just go away," Christian said upon hearing footsteps behind her. "I don't wanna talk to you right now."

"Good thing I'm not Leo then," Will spoke with a small smile on his face but it disappeared just as quickly as it appeared.

"And I _really_ don't want to talk to you either," She retorted bitterly.

"I know," He said softly.

"Go away then."

"We're going to find Mikaela."

"God, do you even realize how many times you have said that?" She spat and spun around to face him. "And yet, you're not any closer to figuring out where the fuck she is than you were three months ago!"

"Somehow, someway we're going to find her," Will repeated. "And we're going to bring her home _alive_."

"How can you be so certain?" In that moment, he realized Christian wasn't angry at him or anyone else for their seemingly lack of progress. She was angry at herself because she was losing faith. She was giving up on her best friend coming back alive. It was disgust that she was so weak at a time she needed to be her strongest.

"Like you said, they're supposed to be getting married in a month. A love like that…" He trailed off searching for the right words.

"And there's a very real possibility they won't now," Christian said brokenly. "We have 20 hours to find her or they're going to _kill _her and we still don't know where she is."

"Sam and Mikaela…they're that Hollywood-esque, storybook love," He was still trying to form the words he needed to say, but he understood that all she really needed right now was someone to give her a reason to believe again. " They're..._it._ I'm not saying they love each other more than I love Sarah or that their love is bigger, but they're the type of couple you look at and know that fate exists, that there's some higher power up there. They're totally cheesy and Sam puts the rest of us men to shame the way he treats Mikaela, but they're the couple you walk into a room and, even if you've never seen either of them before, you know that they're hopelessly in love with each other. You ask how I'm so certain? That's how. Their love isn't meant to end like this."

"Wow, Will," She let out a small chuckle. "Sappy much?"

"Tell anyone and I'll completely deny it," He teased playfully and then turned serious. "I promise you, Christian, even if I die trying Mikaela will come home alive."

"Thank you Will," Christian said sincerely. "I really needed to hear that."

"I know. And you need to know it's okay to feel weak," He warmly hugged her. "Nobody can be strong all the time. Just have faith in them, in us, in whatever you believe in. Lean on us when you need to. We're not gonna be mad at you or look at you any different."

"Now I know why Mikaela spoke so highly of you. You're like a big brother to her."

"I love that girl to death. She's part of our family. I'll do anything in the world for her. Any of you for that matter."

Christian followed Will back inside and gave the others an apologetic smile, but no other words were spoken on the subject. Instead, they jumped right back into studying different locations and searching for patterns in the Decepticon activity they'd recorded in an attempt to find out where they were holding Mikaela hostage. Nothing they'd looked at so far had given them any indication it was the right place, and most of the locations they'd already searched had been nothing more than a semieducated guess. As if dealing with a detectable Decepticon wasn't bad enough, now they suddenly had these new untraceable ones to deal with.

It was now almost 11 o'clock that morning, seven and a half hours after receiving the video that set the base alive in a way none of the inhabitants had ever seen before. Sam had isolated himself in a room once he and Christian had awakened everyone and they'd seen the videos themselves. He knew he should probably be in the hangar with the others, but he'd needed to be alone to try and uncover the information they were all desperately searching for. The five videos had been uploaded to his laptop, and he'd replayed them in order continuously since locking himself in his room. It was a tortuously painful task to watch the videos repeatedly and see his fiancée being abused over and over, but it was something he had to do. Deep down, he knew he was the only one who would ever be able to figure out where they had her. His gut told him no matter how hard Will, Leo, Epps, and the others looked, Mikaela's life and their future rested on his shoulders.

"It can't be," Sam whispered to himself disbelievingly. After countless times of seeing those videos, recognition flickered in his mind. Still though, he didn't want to get his hopes up for nothing. This was their last chance to find her and bring her home alive.

One more time, he replayed the videos in order from the first they'd received three months ago to the one that came through just hours before. With each scene that played on the screen, he became more and more certain that he'd figured it out. He scrutinized every aspect of the room and every word Mikaela spoke to him and when all five were through, he knew without a doubt where they were keeping her. It seemed so obvious to him now that he didn't know how they'd ever missed it, but it just proved the Decepticon's intelligence. They'd somehow known that the humans would overlook the location and never even question the possibility.

Sam busted into the hangar and the others looked at him in surprise at his sudden entrance. By the look on his face, they knew something was up. Will watched as Sam climbed the stairs to where they were all sitting and waited for him to speak.

"I know where she is," Sam declared seriously.

* * *

** I didn't wanna give this away at the beginning (couldn't have you knowing she was still missing before you ever read the chapter, could I?) so I wanna know how many of you can guess where she is so that means you _have_ to leave a review and tell me!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Okay, I'm totally aware that it's been two months. And I'm horribly, horribly sorry for that. I've been totally consumed with school and work the last couple of months. I didn't realize just how hard it was going to be working fulltime and going to school fulltime at night, and anymore I just don't have the strength to think about anything by the time I get home at 9 or 10 at night. Over half of this chapter has been written since I posted the last one, but then I got stuck and I couldn't just end it there because it would've been incomplete and I'm so anal retentive that that just wouldn't work for me. I wasn't gonna post a chapter just for the sake of updating. Hopefully this one will make up for the long wait and I'm definitely gonna try my hardest to get my butt in gear and get another update in before two more months go by. A huge thanks to all those who are still reading after all this time and also to the new ones...you guys are the best!**

**And a special thank you to Brittany who is the main reason this chapter is finally done and posted rather than wholly incomplete and...not posted. Anyway, thanks to her for the electronic kick in the pants! :)**

**As always, I own nothing except for the creative license I take with a world that already exists.**

**Reviews are love so share some with me :)**

* * *

"You what?" Several long moments passed before Will was the first to find his voice and speak.

"I know where she is," Sam repeated.

"How?"

"She told me," He fully expected all the strange and crazy looks he received.

"She told you?" Epps repeated slowly.

"Well, it's not like she actually popped up and said 'hey Sam here I am'," He rolled his eyes.

"Then how did she tell you?" Leo asked curiously.

"I've known for the last month that I had seen that room before. There was a reason she was in that particular room, but until now I couldn't place it. I knew it, but I couldn't remember it. Not until the video we got today. Watch it," Sam walked to the computer and started the latest video just before Mikaela started talking.

"What does it mean?" Christian spoke for the first time. "So she's glad she took a chance on you. How does that tell you where she is?"

"Because there's only one other time she's said those exact words to me," Sam said simply. "In Mission City. Lennox ordered me to take the Cube to the roof of a building where a chopper would meet me. Just before I ran off, she stopped and told me no matter what happened she was glad she got in the car with me."

"And somehow she figured out where she was and she knew by telling you that, you would be able to figure it out and the Decepticons would never know she was giving you a clue because nobody heard those words but you and her," Will filled in.

"There's only one way to get to the roof of that building," Sam continued. "Through that room."

"Why did we never think of Mission City?" Epps sighed.

"They chose that room, that building, for a reason. Nothing about this has ever been about taking over the world or destroying the entire human race. This was an attack against _me_ and me alone because I have directly led to the demise of Megatron twice and the Fallen once. They knew I was the only one who knew that room, and that if we couldn't find her in time it would be no one's fault but my own. This is their payback; they took the most important person in my life away from me just like I did to them those three times."

"Jensen!" Will called out to the soldier standing guard at the hangar door. "I need a plane prepped immediately. I want it ready to take off at 1300 hours. Alert Harrison, Strickland, Hughes, Morrison, and your units that we have discovered Mikaela's location. Sadler and Banker's units are staying behind to guard the base. The plane will leave at 1300 hours exactly and any soldier not on that plane at 1255 will be left behind and disciplined severely upon our return."

"Sir, yes sir," Jensen saluted his superior before leaving his position to follow Lennox's orders.

"Christian, Leo, Sam," Lennox turned to the three. "I will allow you to go, but you are not to step off that plane under _any_ circumstances until we have Mikaela safely out of that building and every one of those Decepticons destroyed. I don't even want to be able to _see_ you when I look at the plane. Got it?"

"Like hell I'm staying on that plane!" Sam argued.

"Witwicky, you will do as I say or I will forcibly leave you here," Will said fiercely.

"Just listen to me. I have an idea," Sam recounted his plan and saw the nods of agreement as he continued.

* * *

By the time the large military plane landed at a small, privately owned airstrip about 100 miles southeast of Mission City, they had eight and a half hours left to get to the building and get Mikaela out. Epps had suggested landing somewhere close to the city but not actually in it, so as to keep the element of surprise in their favor. The Decepticons would surely have eyes on every airport in the city and would know the moment a military aircraft landed.

There was an army base four hours south of the airstrip that had been ordered by the Secretary of Defense to deliver and allow the use of a number of Humvees to the higher ranking troops. The soldiers delivering the vehicles were also ordered to stand guard of the plane and the two occupants on it.

The Autobots had been put on a separate plane with Jensen's unit. There had been no way to fit the robots in their alt modes on the same plane. Upon rolling off the cargo ramp, Sam took to Bumblebee, Will took to Ironhide, and Epps took to Optimus. Luke Gordon, NEST's leading medic, was teamed with Ratchet. The remaining Autobots had created holograms and would bring up the rear. The rest of the humans were designated to the borrowed Humvees.

Half an hour went by in the time it took for the planes to land, unload all of their needed cargo, and leave the airstrip. It would take roughly an hour at most to get to the building. Satellite images had been collected and were to be studied on the ride over. Sam, Epps, and Will each had their own copies along with radios to talk back and forth with each other. The building looked relatively easy to ambush, but they knew the enemy they were dealing with would be their toughest yet. Their moves could not be anticipated, and they had no way of knowing how many there were or how close the real Decepticons who controlled these ones were.

Sam was not naïve; he knew how tough this mission would be, but he felt more optimistic than he had in months. Never once had his faith that Mikaela would be found faltered, and despite the danger and short amount of time they had left to get to her and bring her out alive, he had complete faith they would do it.

Mikaela believed he would save her, and he'd never let her down yet.

* * *

Mikaela's concept of time was now totally restored thanks to these thugs and that final video. She'd finally figured out their pseudo names after three months of being trapped with them. The main one was called Hawk and the abusive one called himself Chomper. The reason for the names, she didn't know and it would be of no help at all in finding their real identities on the outside of this hellhole, but at least she could silently refer to them as something besides Thug 1 and Thug 2 or any other appropriate, albeit obscenely vulgar, name she'd come up with in her time here.

Chomper took great joy in telling her every hour on the hour that she was 60 minutes closer to dying because her precious fiancée couldn't save her. When the clock chimed a new hour, he'd beaten her the equivalent number of times as hours it had been since they'd sent that final video. The last beating she'd received she'd counted 17 strikes by the leather whip, telling her there were only seven more hours.

She refused to give up. At any moment, Sam or Will or even Bumblebee for that matter would come busting through that door to save her. There wasn't much she was absolutely certain of anymore, but she was certain of that. No matter how close it got to 3:25AM, when the countdown would be up, she would not lose faith.

Hawk and Chomper had taken to searching the building when it hit the halfway point of the 24 hours. Each time they left they were gone a little bit longer as they began to search more floors more thoroughly. They weren't worried about leaving her alone; at this point there would be no escaping. She was too weak to walk and there was only one way out of the building save from jumping from a window. They would see her if she tried to crawl down the stairs. The last time they'd left, she'd spied her cell phone on the desk on the other side of the room. Surprisingly enough it hadn't been destroyed in all this time.

It may not even be charged, she really didn't know, but she had to try. Slowly and painfully, she crawled to the other side of the room. Her body was sore all over from the beatings and lack of use, but she pushed herself as hard and as fast as she could. By the grace of God, the phone turned on and had one remaining bar of charge left in it.

"Mikaela?" Tears pooled in her eyes at the sound of his voice when he answered. He'd heard her voice, seen her through video in the last three months, but she'd had nothing of him.

"Sam, don't talk. I don't have a lot of time," Mikaela whispered hoarsely. "We're in Mission City. The building you took the Cube up. I think there's just the two. I've never seen or heard any others. They're gonna blow the building up at 3:25. _I love you_."

"Oh, Mikaela…I love you too," She could tell Sam was crying too. "We're just outside the city now. You're amazing 'Kaela. You told me exactly where to go in that video."

"I have to go before they come back in here," She whispered urgently. "I can't wait to see you again."

"It won't be long I promise. We're on our way. I love you baby," He started to say more, but at that point her phone died. Honestly, she was truly surprised her phone had lasted as long as it did. As bad as she still wanted to hear his voice, she knew she'd done all she could do. He'd figured out the meaning behind the specific words from their past she'd used, and she'd confirmed his hunch.

A mere handful of seconds passed before the two thugs reentered the room after she returned to her original position. The short trip to the opposite side of the room had sapped Mikaela of what little energy she had, but she had to force her breathing to sound normal as the deep, panting breaths she longed to take would give it all away. They couldn't know she'd managed to make that one phone call or the bomb would be set off early.

Every ounce of pain and suffering she'd felt while in their evil hands melted away. For the first time, she _knew_ Sam was going to save her. She'd never doubted for a moment he wouldn't, but now she had concrete fact.

"Well if it isn't the prettiest little lady I ever did see," Hawk said evilly and laughed. These two had to be the most sadistic beings she'd ever met in her life. It was strange in a way because they hadn't spent every waking moment torturing her, but when they did it was plain to see how much enjoyment they got from it. Mikaela wouldn't have been a bit surprised if they walked around with constant hard-ons from the pain they inflicted upon her. Their eyes betrayed the desire they had to truly punish her, but they were under orders to leave her alive and relatively unscathed. Bruises and cuts could heal, but broken bones and mutilation was insubordination to their leaders.

"You're disgusting," She spat.

"That may be so, but I'm not the one pathetically waiting for my worthless excuse for a boyfriend to come save me," He taunted.

"My _fiancée_ is going to save me." Mikaela emphasized the word describing what Sam actually was to her. "And he's going to fucking tear you limb from limb for what you've done. I'm the one who will walk away from this. You and your little fuck buddy bitch over there will be carried out piece by piece in plastic bags."

Chomper evidently didn't take kindly to the insult judging by the force he put behind the kick to her side.

"Calm down Chomper," Hawk called out tiredly. He was used to having to restrain the other man's anger. "She's only provoking you. She knows we're going to win."

* * *

"Guys, Mikaela's alive!" Sam hollered excitedly over his radio the moment their call disconnected.

"What?" Christian's voice crackled. She and Leo were using an Autobot-enhanced long range radio so they weren't left in the dark back at the airstrip.

"How do you know?" Will questioned at the same time.

"I don't know how she did it, but she managed to use her cell phone without them knowing what she was doing."

"Is she where we think she is?" Epps asked. "'Cause we don't have time to go anywhere else."

"Yes," He recalled the conversation and all the valuable information she'd relayed to him. "She said she thinks there's only the two we know about and she's never seen or heard any others. They're going to blow the building at 3:25."

"This may be easier than we thought," Will said more to himself. "But let's not get overconfident. That's a 20 story building and she only knows the one room. I want everybody going into this mission thinking we're facing 30 Megatrons and every other Decepticon that exists. We don't know exactly what we're walking into here, so we have no room for mistakes."

"Christian, Leo," Sam spoke to his two closest friends. "We will see you soon. I promise."

Sam looked out the windshield of his beloved Camaro and saw the tall white building with the statues on it for the first time in two and a half years. Months of searching and suddenly he could see the very room that held the most important person in his life hostage. With every fiber of his being he wanted to leap from the car and run into the building and up 20 flights of stairs to get to her, but he knew that was the stupidest, most reckless thing he could do. A choice like that would only end in both of their deaths.

A 15 block radius had been evacuated and barricaded from entry aside from the convoy of military Humvees and accompanying pack of flashy looking civilian vehicles. Several military units from around the state of California had been ordered to secure the area, but none were granted access passed the first block.

"Harrison, Strickland, Jensen, Morrison, Hughes, and Witwicky gather up," Epps called out to his captains and Sam. They'd stopped halfway into the evacuated area to receive final orders.

"Strickland and Hughes," Will eyed the two men. "I want you and your units in the two buildings on each side to cover the rest of us. Snipers with plasma rifles on the roof, but do not shoot unless ordered to do so by Epps or myself. Ironhide will go with Hughes."

The two captains nodded before turning to their respective teams and heading to the assigned buildings.

"Harrison and Morrison," Will continued. "Your units will surround the outside of the building. On my call, you will fire without abandon. Until then, show some restraint. Shoot only if fire is opened against us."

"Jensen, your unit will follow Mudflap, Skids, and Bumblebee up the building. Stay behind them _at all times_," Lennox finished.

The remaining three captains gathered their units before marching off to follow the orders given to them.

"Sam, you know what we're doing," Sam nodded to show his understanding. "Luke will be waiting for you the minute you come out of that building."

"Yes sir."

"You _do not_ for any reason stick around. Get out and radio us when you're out of Mission City. Do not seek revenge; we will do it for you. Do you understand me?" Will gave Sam a gravely serious look.

"Yes sir," Sam did understand. He would follow his orders to the letter.

"Good. Let's go."

Sam, Lennox, and Epps would be going up the fire escape. It was on the side of the building Hughes' unit was stationed with Ironhide so they would have ample protection along with the weapons they carried on their persons. Their plan centered around two main objectives: surprising the hell out of these fuckers and confusing them beyond comprehension. They were counting on the surprise and confusion to execute the mission. As long as they successfully did one or the other, they stood a good chance of getting Mikaela out safely.

Optimus had performed a thorough scan of the building before allowing Jensen's unit or the three Autobots to enter the main doors. It was mostly to see if there were any Decepticons lying in wait to ambush them and alert the other two to their arrival. All that the scan revealed were several randomly placed motion detectors, but the Autobots would have discovered them once inside the building before tripping them, so they weren't worried about that. Like Sam expected, both from Mikaela's provided information and his own gut instinct, it truly appeared there were only the original two. Of course, with the new and improved undetectable Decepticons it was impossible to truly know that, but Sam truly believed they really were the only ones. They were expecting him to barrel up the stairs and through the doors to that room without any sort of backup. In that case, both Sam and Mikaela would die in the explosion they would detonate.

Little did the Decepticons know, they were playing right into their little theory.

Sam admittedly did not have half the stamina any of the soldiers did. Halfway up the stairs, he was running on pure adrenaline. If he'd anticipated the need to climb so many stairs, he would've spent part of the last three months glued to a Stairmaster building up his strength. Tomorrow or the next day, his muscles would be screaming in pain but right now it didn't matter. He had one conscious thought, and everything else was shoved from his mind.

At the 18th floor, they paused when the radio softly crackled to life.

Phase one of their plan had begun.

* * *

Hawk and Chomper spent the majority of their time monitoring all the motion detectors and cameras they had inside and around the tall building. As of yet, not even a blip had shown up on the radar. Where was this infernal human who supposedly loved their captive so much? They had both expected his presence hours before, and the lengthy wait was making them more and more anxious. Their inner turmoil was invisible to Mikaela, who still believed them to be calm and confident of their victory.

Mikaela was growing anxious internally as well, though for different reasons. Of the three, she was the only one who knew how close the other side was. Her concept of time was so skewed she couldn't honestly predict their arrival, but she knew it was coming. More than anything, she was worried about Sam's role in her rescue. She'd seen him behave recklessly in the heat of a battle before and knew that he was prone to rushing ahead of himself before thinking his decisions completely through. Her instinct was the same as the thugs: Sam was going to come barging through the door guns blazing with no help. If he did that, she was going to kill him for being such an idiot once they were both safe and she had the strength to beat the piss out of him. Lennox or Optimus would never allow him to do that, but he'd never been the best at following orders.

Her patience was thinning quickly and with every snide comment they made she had to force herself to keep silent and not reveal their approaching attack or that she'd given away their location. Mikaela made herself think about all the simple things she would soon, God willing, be able to experience again. A shower, for one. A big, comfy bed, though she knew they'd likely confine her to a hospital bed until they were convinced she was fine. Clean clothes, although there again it would likely be a paper thin gown in the beginning. Food besides stale crackers and sliced cheese. Most of all…Sam. His eyes. His hugs. His warm embrace. His smile. Those long, slow kisses.

She swallowed a giggle that threatened to escape as it dawned on her she would likely be attacking him one way or another once they were both safe and healthy. Her reasons for attacking him were yet to be discovered. It would either be angrily or sexually. They were both hot blooded teenagers after all. A contented peace enveloped her knowing that despite all she'd endured she could still fantasize about her fiancée even as her life remained at stake.

A loud, screeching siren caused her train of thought to come to a sudden halt.

"What the hell!" Hawk yelled angrily.

"The 19th floor?" Chomper's chair legs scratched against the concrete floor when he shoved his seat back.

"How did they get past all of the other detectors without setting them off?" Hawk was more furious than Mikaela had ever seen him. Normally Chomper was the one with the anger problem and Hawk was the calmer of the two, but the look on his face could kill.

"Damn it Hawk!" Chomper yelled at his cohort and began to pull weapons from a case nearby. "You fucking moron!"

From the looks on the two Neo Decepticons' faces, it seemed they were a half-second away from exchanging blows with each other. At least if they managed to destroy each other, nobody on her side would get hurt and she'd easily be able to escape.

The sound of the door banging back against the wall caused all three of their heads to snap towards the sudden noise. Just as they'd expected: there stood Sam guns blazing and fire in his eyes.

"Fancy meeting you two here," Sam taunted with a smirk on his face. "Been waiting for me long?"

"Tut, tut Witwicky," Hawk smoothly returned the taunting. "Awfully cocky for someone who waited three months to rescue his girlfriend, aren't you? Do you know all the times she cried herself to sleep, all the times she called out your name in her sleep? It was quite an entertaining show for the two of us."

"You're a sick, twisted fuck," He growled.

"Hey now, there's no reason for name calling," Chomper said condescendingly. "We're all friends here."

"This chat's been loads of fun and all, but give me Mikaela," There was a deadly aura around Sam. "Let me have her, and maybe I'll have a little mercy on you when I destroy you."

"A mere human like you has no chance against us," Chomper moved so he stood in Sam's way of getting to Mikaela. In response, Sam pointed his shiny looking gun towards their computer setup and fired it. There was no shrapnel, no debris; all of it literally just vaporized into thin air. It was the Autobot's newest weapon creation.

"No chance against you?" He asked rhetorically.

There was a resounding thud on the roof above them and Hawk and Chomper looked back and forth at each other uncertain. Hawk nodded at his accomplice before turning to the door leading up to the roof and going out of it. Neither Sam nor Chomper did anything other but glare at each other as several long moments passed.

Mikaela knew something was up. Sam hadn't hardly glanced at her or made a move towards her in the entire time since he'd ambushed the room. The only acknowledgment he'd even given to her presence was telling Hawk and Chomper to let him have her.

Chomper's interest was piqued as well. He too had noticed the human's seeming lack of concern for his captive girlfriend. Sam simply stood there toying with his gun and a knowing smirk on his face. A shrill scream was heard from the roof, and Chomper looked nervously at the open door. What was going on up there? Hawk was one of the best at what he did. Chomper had seen him go up against other Neo Decepticons severely mismatched in their training and come out unscathed. The two of them could go up against the Autobots and their stupid military teams and defeat them. They were built to be indestructible. That's why they were the only two guarding Mikaela.

Hawk bounded down the stairs with a look of disbelief upon his angry face.

"There's two of them!" He shouted to Chomper. "And my scanner can't detect the imposter!"

"There's two of who?" The other man was confused.

"Witwicky is on the roof," Hawk pointed towards the door and then at the man standing in the other doorway. "And Witwicky is right there!"

"Actually, there's three," A third version of Sam stepped through the door from the inside of the building. "Now things are starting to get real fun. Three Sam Witwickys and you can't tell which of us is the real one and which two are the imposters."

Mikaela was overwhelmed at the sight of seeing two figures standing side by side that looked identical to her fiancée. She couldn't even tell if he was one of them or if they were both fake. Chomper growled and went to grab a weapon until the first Sam pointed his gun directly at him.

"Still feel confident now?"

"Hawk, take the roof," Chomper ordered without tearing his eyes away from Sam and the gun pointed at him. "I've got these two."

"What about her?" Hawk referred to Mikaela.

"She's trapped. Her only option is to jump out of a window, and that's suicide."

Hawk retraced his steps to the roof after grabbing weapons in both hands. Mikaela was surprised neither Sam attempted to fire at him, but their eyes were trained on Chomper. Something told her the lack of resistance they'd shown in letting him go back to the roof armed meant the one on the roof wasn't the real Sam. There was no way they would possibly let Sam face off against an armed Decepticon. He stood no chance.

In a blur of movement, Chomper had grabbed a gun and fired at the first Sam before there was any chance to react. His body flew back and knocked a hole through the wooden wall. Mikaela screamed when she saw him land on the hard ground outside the room unmoving. She had no idea if that was her fiancée or not, but even if it wasn't it was horrifying to watch someone who looked exactly like him get shot at like that. He advanced towards the other Sam who wielded a similar looking firearm. He fired off a quick shot at the ground under Chomper's feet, causing the floor to disintegrate and his body instantly dropped to the floor below with a crash. The clone gave Mikaela a long look before shaking his head and jumping through the hole.

_Great_, Mikaela thought. _Three Sams, one of which is the real one, and they all disappear._ She could hear the shots volleying back and forth both above and below her. _Stupid pigheaded moron. Like I wasn't already freaked out and worried enough._

_

* * *

_

"Alright kid, it's your time to shine," Sam could hear Lennox's voice loud and clear in the earpiece fitted into his right ear. "We've got eyes on you for protection. Don't do anything stupid."

"Aye, aye captain," He mock saluted the older man. The joking nature at such a serious time was an attempt to calm his nerves.

"Get in, get Mikaela, and get out."

Epps had quietly cut out a window to the room off the fire escape. From the sounds of the wide open radio, both Decepticons were sufficiently distracted leaving Sam the perfect opportunity to crawl through the newly created hole and rescue Mikaela.

Sam entered the room and immediately shuffled over to where Mikaela sat against the wall. She gave him a confused look and he knew it was because she was now seeing a fourth version of him and she had assumed one of the first three was actually him. When he reached for her, she shied away and there was a sense of hurt despite understanding why she had reacted that way.

"I'm the real one," He said softly.

"How do I know?" Mikaela questioned warily.

"Remember in Florida when we got busted by Rachel for making out in the closet when we were playing hide and seek and she called us rabbits on Viagra?"

"Sam…"

"Come on. We've got to go," He picked her up bridal style and reveled in the feeling of her skin against his after so long.

Sam carried her to the window before handing her gently to Lennox and crawling back through the small space. There were no words between the two men as Sam took her back into his arms and started running down the stairs. Her arms instinctively locked around his neck more to try to steady herself from being jostled around in his haste than anything else.

"Hold on tight and don't let go," Sam ordered in between panting breaths.

At the base of the fire escape, Luke was waiting. The moment Sam's feet padded onto sidewalk, both men were sprinting towards the Humvee parked a couple blocks away. He unceremoniously threw Mikaela into the backseat when they reached the vehicle, and in the back of his mind he felt bad about tossing her around like that but their only priority at that moment was getting the hell out of the area as quickly as possible.

"Go Luke!" Sam hopped in the backseat with his fiancée and screamed at the man who took the driver's seat. "Go, go, go, go, go!"

He covered Mikaela's body as best he could without lying completely on top of her to shield her from view. Her eyes had been shut tight from the moment he took her from Lennox and she was afraid to open them. Sam took the moment to rejoice in his rescuing her from that room and down to the Humvee waiting for them on the ground safely. Not once had they been shot at, thank God, and there had been nothing on the radio about the two Decepticons having any idea she was gone.

"How do you feel?" Sam finally whispered.

"Like I've been carried down a gigantic flight of stairs and thrown into the backseat of a car like a ragdoll," She tried to joke but her breathing was uneven.

"Did I hurt you?" He pushed.

"No, baby, you didn't," Mikaela assured reaching a hand gingerly to his head to run her fingers through his hair. "Chomper was a little rougher than usual today."

"Will, we're en route to the airstrip. Radio Luke if you need me, I'm turning mine off," Sam tore the earpiece out and chucked it and his radio into the floorboard.

"Sam…" She breathed softly seeing the pure emotion on his face. Tears poured from his eyes and he buried his head into her chest.

"I missed you so much. God, I love you Mikaela," His words were muffled against her skin and the erratic sound of her heartbeat was like music to his ears.

Mikaela couldn't speak she was so choked up. There were a dozen or more things she wanted to say, but none of it would come out. All she could do was run her fingers through his hair and cradle his head.

Sam didn't even mind that she wasn't talking. The physical contact was well more than enough right now. They would have their time to talk, but for the moment it wasn't that important. The tears falling from his eyes finally dried up and he lifted his head to meet her gaze.

"No, Sam I don't think so," She protested and turned her head when he tried to kiss her.

"What?" He asked utterly confused.

"I haven't brushed my teeth in three months," She said disgustedly. "You're not kissing me."

"Mikaela, I could care less," Sam rolled his eyes at her girliness.

"Well, I do. I'm pretty sure my breath is, like, toxic by now," She laughed. "I promise you can kiss me as long as you want when we get to wherever we're going…as long as I get a toothbrush and some heavy duty toothpaste first." He stared at her a long moment before craning his head around to the front of the Humvee.

"Luke, send one of the officers guarding the plane after a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a jug of water," Sam asked the other man.

"Are you serious?" It definitely wasn't a normal order given to a lower ranking soldier.

"Yes. If it's not there by the time we get there, I'm taking one of those vaporizing guns after every one of them."

"I'll pass along the order," Luke consented all the while shaking his head amusedly at the absurdity of the situation.

"He just thinks I'm joking," Sam grumbled to himself before turning back to Mikaela. She couldn't help but giggle at the way he was acting, but she didn't say anything.

The Humvee was silent for most of the ride back to the airstrip. Occasionally Sam or Mikaela would murmur something to the other, but after the three month separation they were content to simply bask in each other's touch. There was only so much they could say to each other at the moment, and it was mostly repetitive or saying the exact same thing in different words.

* * *

It'd been about 45 minutes since Christian and Leo heard over their radio that Luke and Sam were on their way back to the airstrip with Mikaela. Christian had been exuding anxiety and impatience for the last 15 minutes as it seemed time was frozen as they waited for the first sight of the Humvee to come into view.

Three months of nothing and all of a sudden she was mere minutes away. The traumatic experience she'd been forced to endure would obviously have a lasting impact on Mikaela, but nobody really knew how much it would change her. Would they ever have the same fun loving, amazing person they'd grown to love back? Christian remembered how her friend had been right after Justin's attempted rape, and she'd just barely started to get back to the way she was before. If there was one person strong enough to withstand so much in such a short period of time, it was Mikaela—but how much was too much? At what point would she just not be able to bounce back?

They heard the Humvee's arrival before they saw it and Christian barely gave the armored vehicle a chance to stop before she was running towards it and throwing open the door. All it took was one look at her best friend's weakened frame and she burst into tears. Sam carefully helped his fiancée out of the rear seat and step onto the concrete runway and then stepped back a few feet so that she and Christian could have their reunion. If there was one person besides Sam who needed to feel Mikaela's warm skin, hear her voice, to know that the nightmare was finally over, it was Christian. The past three months had been almost as hard on her as they had on him, and maybe even just a little bit harder since there had been a short period of time where she'd lost faith they'd bring Mikaela back alive whereas Sam had never once lost hope.

"Christian, it's okay," Mikaela whispered upon feeling her best friend's body violently shaking from her sobbing. "I'm fine. I'm still here. I'm_ alive_."

Christian still couldn't seem to recompose herself no matter how many reassurances Mikaela whispered in her ear and that only served to upset her more—knowing that she was being consoled by the person she should be consoling. Of course, Mikaela didn't see it that way. There were tears of her own trailing down her cheeks because she was just so relieved to be with them again. Sam was her whole world, there was no denying that fact, but the red headed woman had become an integral part of her life over the last several months before her kidnapping and she was just as happy to see her again.

Leo managed to peel his girlfriend away from Mikaela after a while. He didn't want to break up the reunion, but he could hear snippets of the conversation between Sam and Lucas and knew they needed to get her back onto the plane where they'd brought a load of medical equipment with them. The plan was to check her over as thoroughly as they could within the confines of the plane, and as long as there were no pressing issues that had to be taken care of immediately, they would fly one back to New Jersey and keep her in the infirmary on base. Should anything serious show up, however, the plane would fly them straight to Diego Garcia until she was fit to handle the longer cross country flight. None of them wanted to have to admit her to any other hospital because of the secrecy of her three month long abduction. With all the classified information surrounding the situation, it was best to avoid having to come up with a cover story or outrageous lie to explain her injuries.

Sam carried Mikaela from where they stood next to the Humvee onboard the plane where Lucas's medical equipment had already been set up despite her insistence that she could walk the twenty some odd feet between the two. He was going to be overprotective like this for a while, and she could already tell it would cause some tension between them. She knew he just wanted to make sure she didn't hurt herself worse or push herself too hard, but she also knew her body better than anyone else and knew the limits to which she could go. As much as it would annoy her, his over attentiveness would only make her love him that much more. If the situations were reversed, she would be the exact same way.

"Okay, Mikaela, I'm going to ask you some questions and do a couple scans, alright?" Lucas asked her gently once the five of them were on the plane. "As long as I'm satisfied with your answers and what the scans show me, we'll fly back to Jersey when the rest get back. If something comes up, we're flying to Diego Garcia immediately."

"I'll do anything you want me to as long as you promise me a bath. Like a really, long hot one where I don't have to move for a while," She smiled at her simple request. "And you should probably find out about that toothbrush 'cause I know my fiancée over there is getting antsy."

"He's just going to have to wait a little bit longer," Both of them laughed at the pouty look he got on his face at the news before Lucas got all serious again. "Now, tell me, how often were you assaulted?"

"In the beginning it was just once a day I suppose. It was never consistently as bad as what the videos showed. For the most part, I just got slapped around and kicked. The videos were always the worst—they wanted it to look like it was worse than what it was. I'm not sure who they got their orders from, who controlled them, but I do know they had orders not to seriously hurt me. Towards the end though…" Mikaela trailed off as she tried to control her tears and Sam laced his fingers through hers to try to calm her down. "Chomper couldn't restrain himself. He'd beat me a few times a day or more. There were times I'd pass out from the pain, not because it was that much worse but mostly just because there was less time to heal between beatings. He used a chain once, and I think he broke a rib or two because there was this god awful snap and after that Hawk never let him use it again."

"I should've obliterated that motherfucker when I had the chance," Sam growled darkly and they all watched as he stalked off the plane. Mikaela couldn't help but be upset that he'd just taken off like that, but the rational part of her brain understood that it was hard for him to hear what she'd had to go through.

"Were you ever assaulted in any way that wasn't physical?" The medic asked reluctantly.

"No, they never did anything like that."

"Did they ever use anything besides the chain?"

"Chomper was real fond of a leather whip the last couple days or so. I can't really remember everything. The days all ran together after a while, and I tried to block most of it out."

"That's okay. Did they feed you, give you water?"

"Yeah, I got bread or crackers and water every day. They never really planned to kill me; it was all a ploy to draw Sam in so they could kill him. That's why they couldn't beat me too bad. I had to stay alive because I was their only direct link to him."

"Based on what you're telling me, it sounds like all the wounds are superficial and you're just malnourished given the amount of food they gave you," Lucas summed up. "But I still need to run some tests to make sure there's nothing going on internally that we can't see."

While Lucas got everything in order to get the tests done quickly and efficiently, Mikaela kept her eyes on the open end of the plane. She really needed Sam by her side. They'd been separated for three months with no contact and a part of her couldn't comprehend how he could just walk away like he had.

The tests were relatively simple, more time consuming than anything. More in depth tests would be run when they got back to whichever military base Lucas decided they needed to go to, but for now he wanted to make sure all her important organs were functioning correctly and that there was no internal bleeding of any kind. He didn't have a machine to x-ray her side to check for broken ribs, but there wasn't much he would've been able to do even if they had discovered they were broken. The incident had happened at least a month back she figured, so she'd been dealing with the pain that long anyway.

Sam still hadn't returned when they finished up with all the tests and Lucas gave her the okay to fly back to New Jersey and stay at the infirmary on base, so Christian stepped up and helped her off the make shift exam table and wrapped an arm around her waist to support her as she walked. Again, Mikaela protested that she could walk on her own, but the other woman refused to let her go. All she really wanted to do was sit down and not move for a while, but her fiancée was standing somewhere outside that plane with who knows what running through his mind and she needed to get to him. Both of them had been through hell for the last three months, and they needed strength from each other to help them begin to move on. Even as happy as she was to be with him again, she was still upset at his abrupt departure and she was going to let him know that.

They found him sitting in the back of the Humvee with the door wide open. It was obvious from his demeanor that he was upset and upon closer inspection she could tell that he'd been crying. Seeing him like this made her want to hold him and kiss his tears away.

"I know this is hard for you too and part of me understands that, but there's a bigger part of me that needs you so much right now, more than I ever have before," Mikaela lifted his jaw to look him in the eye. "But I don't know how to depend on you if you're just gonna take off like that."

"'Kaela, I'm sorry," Sam spoke softly. "I didn't mean to take off like that. It's just…hearing you talk about it, knowing what you had to go through—and that it was all because of me—I just couldn't handle it. I'm supposed to protect you and I didn't, I couldn't, and in that moment I felt like a failure because I couldn't save you. I hated myself right then and I was just so angry I had to get out of there before I started destroying everything because that would've scared you and I don't wanna hurt you anymore."

"Baby, you did save me. You pulled me from that building. Every single day you saved me, because I knew you would find me. Yeah, it sucked what I had to go through, but I'm gonna be okay because I have you. You remember what you told me about this ring?" She held her hand up so he could see it. "It means we're stuck together. No refund policy, remember? It means I'm always gonna come back to you because I love you so fucking much."

"I love you too," He said emotionally.

"You've gotta let me in too, okay?" Mikaela tenderly touched his cheek. "I don't want you to close yourself off because you think I can't handle it. I wanna be there for you as much as you're gonna be here for me."

"Yes ma'am," Sam joked and kissed her forehead. "Come with me. I brought some extra clothes with us on the plane."

"See, you're totally the best fiancée ever," She smiled happily. "And then we gotta find that toothbrush 'cause I'm not real sure how much longer I can go without kissing you."

Sam carried her to the plane a second time, but she decided not to complain about him not letting her walk. She understood now that it made him feel better because it upset him to know that she was hurting even if she didn't vocalize it.

He produced a pair of sweats and a t-shirt along with a bra and panties from a bag underneath one of the seats. They'd already asked Christian and Leo to not let anyone in while she was changing, so Mikaela immediately reached for the hem of the shirt she'd been wearing but Sam moved her hands out of the way. The look in his eyes indicated he needed to do this as a final confirmation that she was okay. Her midsection was covered in bruises and welts new and old when he carefully slid the shirt over her head and she saw his knuckles whiten around the tattered material as he fought to contain his emotions.

"Baby, calm down," Mikaela pleaded. "It doesn't hurt near as bad as you think. I promise."

Sam's hands were shaking as he reached around to unclasp her bra. The second piece of clothing came off and he had to force himself not to stare. This was not the time or the place for any kind of sexual thoughts or actions. He heard a giggle and looked up to see her smirking at him. Of course, she knew him better than he knew himself, so even as he tried to hide it she knew what he was thinking. All he could do was smile sheepishly and shrug a shoulder. He covered her with a new, clean bra and the t-shirt from the bag of clothes before trailing his hands to the button of her jeans. Mikaela shivered from the feeling of his hands on her legs as he pushed the jeans down and it was his turn to smirk knowingly at her. He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of her panties and took them off too and suddenly they were both glad he'd brought one of his t-shirts rather than hers so it came down almost to mid-thigh which meant nobody walking by the plane would be able to see anything.

"I'm sorry they're all wrinkled," Sam apologized after pulling the sweats up and tying the drawstring for her. "I had Christian get them for me when she went home one weekend, so they've been in a bag for a while."

"At least I'm comfortable now," She laced her fingers through his and smiled widely. "Now how about that toothbrush?"

"You're impossible," He shook his head amused and carried her off in search of the officer who'd been sent to buy it.

* * *

The others had arrived just as soon as she'd finished brushing her teeth for the millionth time, so their kiss had been postponed yet again as Will and Epps and the rest of the team she'd gotten close to had ambushed her with relieved words and cautious hugs. Will broke away after several minutes to converse with Lucas and find out for sure that she was okay to withstand the long flight back to New Jersey. Once he got word that she was, the two cargo planes were quickly loaded up and ready to take off. There hadn't been any major injuries to any of the humans because of their surprisingly successful sneak attack in which most of the fighting had been done by the Autobots.

"Next time you guys get this bright idea to go to Florida, we're all going with you. Trouble follows you two around like nothing I've ever seen before," Will said half-jokingly and wrapped her up in another hug after the plane they were on began to travel down the runway.

"Don't worry, Will, I don't think Sam's gonna let us go anywhere besides New Jersey, Philadelphia, and home for a very long time," Mikaela agreed. They both looked over at the man in question who was watching her intently from his spot next to Leo and Christian. She slowly made her way over to where they were standing and leaned into Sam's side when he slid an arm around her waist.

"Let's sit down, okay?" He didn't even give her a chance to respond as he guided her to a seat and pulled her down onto his lap. She looked around and could tell that the others on the plane were preoccupied with whatever they were doing or conversations they were caught up in and she smiled slightly.

"Finally," Mikaela whispered and turned her head so she could capture his lips with hers. His fingers instinctively tangled in her hair and the tenderness of his movements brought tears to her eyes. She parted her lips just slightly and their tongues dueled in a lazy battle where neither fought for dominance.

"I missed you," Sam murmured against her lips. "So much."

"Will you just hold me?" Honestly she wouldn't mind kissing him for the next few days straight, but she was perfectly content to just lay against his hard chest and draw in his strength. They were back together after so long and really that's all that mattered to her.

"Of course I will," He promised. "You know, I had a dream about us a while back."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, it was perfect," She felt him smile against the side of her head. "We had a little boy named Jayden, and a little girl named Madison, and you were about seven or eight months pregnant with another one. You were absolutely breathtaking pregnant with my child and the little girl looked just like her mama. I woke up crying because it was all so amazing, and I knew then I would find you no matter what because we deserved that family."

"I bet the little boy looked just like his daddy."

"He had your eyes."

"That's my dream too," Mikaela craned her neck to look into his eyes. "To have a family with you."

"We'll get there baby," Sam leaned down and kissed her. "You and me, we're forever."

Mikaela maneuvered her body so that her legs were stretched out over the seat next to them and she curled deeper into his body. Her head rested on his chest and the sound of his heart beating was suddenly the most melodic sound she'd ever heard. It would be a long way back to where they had been at before the spring break trip, but she knew they would get there. They'd already been through so much over the last year, and with every obstacle they'd only become stronger. There was no doubt in her mind they'd get their dream. Right now, though, she was happy to be in his arms and feel his warmth.

Tomorrow they could face the world; tonight was just about the two of them, his strength and her safety, and the incredible realization that even against impossible odds—love conquers all.


	32. Chapter 32

**Alright, so I'm a _little_ late...again. Good news is, the next chapter is almost done so it should be up in a couple weeks! How's that for a Christmas present? :) Anyway, thanks to Brittany once again for my electronic kick in the butt! So I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, I promise not to make you wait as long for the next one, and in the meantime...check out the one-shot I put up a couple of days ago. I've gotta tweak it and repost it to correct a huge mistake I didn't notice (thank you Brittany for paying more attention to my writing than I do! you're a savior!) but you should still definitely read it!**

**And no, I still own nothing from Transformers or the franchise except for the creative liberties I have taken due to my over-active imagination.**

**PLEASE REVIEW...'cause it's Christmas time and I deserve presents :)**

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Two months had gone by before they knew it. The four friends had spent three weeks on the base in New Jersey until Ratchet announced Mikaela to be completely healed and they finally were able to go home. Christian went back to Boston, Leo home to Houston, and Sam and Mikaela back to LA. Word had traveled among their friends that Mikaela was safely back with them, but since the semester was already over they had all gone back to their hometowns spread all over the country. Andy and Balie were the only ones who actually lived in Philadelphia so they had a small reunion when the four had returned to the city to pack their bags for the month long trip home.

Sam's parents had been aware from the beginning what had happened to Mikaela, and it was hard to tell who cried more after getting off the plane in LA-Mikaela or his mom. The two most important women in Sam's life had grown extremely close, especially throughout the last year. On the nights he'd struggled the worst with her disappearance, it had been his mom who'd been his rock and given him the strength to keep searching no matter how pointless it seemed at times.

Before going their separate ways, plans had been made to spend a week at a cabin in Colorado-with Will, Epps, and several Autobot bodyguards of course. It had been the only way Sam or Will would agree to it. Their last vacation had ended tragically and they refused to take chances this time.

It had been the perfect getaway. A week with their closest friends completely isolated from the outside world. They even grounded themselves from cell phones-all of them had been locked up inside Ironhide's glove box with strict instructions that they were only to be used in an emergency.

During their month long break, Sam and Mikaela even managed to finalize most of their wedding plans. The date was set for December 14, a week after the fall semester ended, and it was to be held in the church his grandparents had married in some 50 years before and his parents had married there two years before Sam was born. The minute Mikaela had seen pictures of it, she'd immediately declared it to be their choice as well. Sam was overjoyed; he'd always loved his father's hometown. Up until the day he finally gathered the courage to talk to Mikaela which had intertwined their lives forever, a part of him always wished he would have grown up in the small town.

Christian was the maid of honor with Balie and Rachel the bridesmaids, and Sam's cousin Jacob would be his best man along with Leo and Andy as his groomsmen. Colton, Tyler, and Tate were the ushers. Sam's youngest cousins, three-and-a-half-year-old Jamie and six-year-old Ryleigh were the ring bearer and flower girl.

Originally, Mikaela wanted a summer wedding. Obviously, that hadn't worked out so well, so they'd both agreed it better to wait until Christmas break especially with all of the logistics involved. With it planned this far in advance, all of their friends would be able to make it and Sam and Mikaela decided together to purchase all of the plane tickets. There was more than enough money in their "saving the world fund" (as Mikaela like to call it) to afford the dozen or so round trip tickets.

For now, though, Sam's main concern was Mikaela's birthday coming up in a couple of weeks. Their three year anniversary had fallen a month into her being taken hostage, and he was determined to make this her best birthday ever. They'd gone out to dinner in LA to at least acknowledge the special date had come and gone, but neither really wanted to celebrate it given the events surrounding the actual day itself. In all actuality, every day they'd spent together since the fateful showdown in Mission City was celebration enough for Sam. He could care less they hadn't been together on that day as long as they were together every day after from now on.

He'd been planning her birthday present since not long after getting back from Colorado. His idea had received great praise from Christian when he'd bounced it off her, which only served to bolster his excitement. More than likely her initial reaction would be shock and anger at the extravagance, but she would love it once she got past all that.

Sam looked out at the open road and smiled to himself. Despite the outrageously rough start to the year, things couldn't possibly be better. If anything, he'd learned to appreciate every aspect of life rather than just the big, important moments.

"Baby, where are you?" Mikaela whined petulantly when he answered his phone. "I'm having some serious fiancée withdrawals. I haven't seen you all day!"

"What, you don't remember attacking me with a pillow this morning?" He retorted and rolled his eyes.

"Well, that's what you get for tickling me," She huffed mock-angrily but he could hear the smile in her voice. "But seriously, where are you? We've been back for an hour."

"I'm on my way. I went to see Jake and Drew."

"Aw, why didn't you tell me you were going there? It would've been nice to see them and your grandparents again."

"You already had plans to go shopping with my mom," He pointed out. "And it was kind of last minute."

"When are you gonna be back?"

"Probably 20 or 30 minutes," Sam guessed.

"Sam," She drew out his name in a whine. "That's a long time. You're supposed to say you're turning on the street."

"If I knew you would miss me that much, I'd have gone to see Jake last week," He joked.

"No, my feet hurt. I just really want a foot rub and you're the best," Mikaela told him as seriously as she could.

"Well, in that case I think I'll turn around and go hang out with Jake some more," He decided. "Since you don't miss me and all."

"Ugh, fine, I miss you okay?" There was that hint of a smile in her voice again. "I'll even let you off the hook with the foot rub if you promise me we can just hang out at my house and watch a movie, cuddle a little bit, maybe make out…" Mikaela trailed off.

"You got yourself a date, babe. You're at my house?"

"Yes sir. Tell Bee to hurry up okay?" She told him. "Or he and I are gonna have a talk about him hugging my fiancée."

"That never gets old," He breathed referring to her calling him her fiancée. "It should only be about 10 or 15 more minutes."

The house her dad had bought with the help of his mother a year after getting released from prison had become hers upon his death. From the first time she stepped foot in it when she moved back in with him, she had loved the little house and didn't have the heart to sell it after he died. Instead, she'd paid it off after selling his car shop and the restored pickup he drove. Selling his beloved truck had been a hard decision, but she knew keeping it would mean it never got driven because they already had Bee and her Camaro and she knew her dad would rather her sell it than let it sit. Of course, she cried as soon as the new owner drove away but she was confident in her decision nonetheless.

Sam pretty much lived with her now. Slowly but surely everything he had at his parents' was making its way to her house. Judy and Ron weren't altogether thrilled at the arrangement but there wasn't much they could say with them both being legal adults and they were already living together in Philadelphia as it was.

His parents probably thought they went at it like rabbits in a house with no parental supervision when in reality that wasn't even the case. More than anything he loved the simple things that came with living together. It wasn't about sex; it never had been. There was a reason they'd been together for so long before sex even entered the picture.

A ghost of a smile still shown on his face when he pulled that canary yellow Camaro in the driveway of his parents' house. It struck him as amusing that he'd so quickly come to think of the house he'd grown up in as his parents' house rather than his own anymore; then again, he'd grown accustomed to living with Mikaela and it just didn't feel like home without her.

Speaking of his fiancée, he found her curled up in his dad's recliner with her eyes closed once he snuck in quietly through the back door. He walked right past her in search of his mother. She always tended to completely exhaust herself when she went shopping; at least by letting her rest now, there was less chance of her falling asleep the minute they got back to her house.

"Am I gonna have to ban you two from shopping together?" He joked upon finding his mom in the kitchen.

"Well, I suppose you could always go with me instead," Judy looked at him dryly.

"No, no, that's fine. You just keep on taking her," He quickly backtracked.

"Thought so," She told him smugly. "How are Jake and Drew?"

"They're doin' good. Did you hear Drew's gonna play baseball at Nevada?"

"Oh yeah. Danny called your dad right after it was official."

"Man, I'm always the last to know," Sam whined playfully.

"Shut up and go get that girl of yours," His mom swatted at him with a dishtowel. "She's been whining since we got home an hour or so ago. I'm really not so sure why she's so attached to you."

"Thanks for the confidence booster there, Mom," He rolled his eyes.

There was a smile on Mikaela's face when he retraced his steps to the living room so he knew she'd heard at least the end of their conversation. She, of course, vehemently denied whining for that long but they both knew better. Sam pressed a kiss to her forehead before going out to his mom's car to move all of her shopping bags to his because he knew he would just get conned into it later anyway. The girl had him so completely wrapped around her little finger, but he loved every minute of it.

Who was he kidding? Mikaela had him whipped, and he was always the first to admit it. The boys teased him about it relentlessly. She would too every now and then, but she wasn't the type of girl to take advantage of it. Not with him, anymore. It was more like the knowledge of it made her feel special that he loved her that much but there was no desire to abuse that well-known fact or be some kind of control freak. She loved that he would do anything in the world for her, but she never asked him to.

Mikaela watched him enter the living room from the back door through half-lidded eyes. A chuckle escaped him when he plopped himself down in her lap causing her to grunt and mutter obscenities at him. Sam simply gave her an innocent grin to which she pinched his side hard.

"Ow, fuck," He exclaimed rubbing the sore spot.

"That's what you get, you big oaf," She glared and pinched him again in the same spot.

"Dammit, Mikaela, that hurts!"

"Then get the fuck off my lap," She said sarcastically before doing it a third time.

"Quit fucking pinching me!" Sam growled and she could tell he was getting mad.

"What, so you can sit there and intentionally fuck with me just to irritate the shit out of me but the second I start joking around with you, you get all pissed off," Mikaela looked at him pointedly.

"I don't sit there and pinch the crap out of you in the same spot over and over," He argued.

"No, but you will sit there for hours and mess with me when you know it pisses me off. Sometimes it's funny and cute, but sometimes it just gets old."

"Fine then, next time I'll just ask if it's okay with your majesty that I joke around or if you'll just end up being a bitch about it," Sam said nastily.

"Don't be a jackass Sam," Mikaela gave him a hard stare.

"No, that's bullshit. You're the one who kept pinching me, but suddenly I'm the jackass."

"You know what?" She pushed him off her and got to her feet. "This is stupid. I'm not gonna fight with you. I'm going home. When you're done being a dick, then you can come over. Until then, I really just don't wanna be around you."

Sam watched her walk towards the back door and, before he could stop himself, managed to shove his foot farther down his throat.

"Don't think about taking my car. Find another way to get home."

Mikaela spun on her heels and the fire in her eyes told him she was about to let him have it, but another voice spoke up before she even opened her mouth.

"Samuel James Witwicky, I know I raised you better than to treat a woman like that, especially your fiancée," Judy whirled into the room looking angrier than Mikaela had ever seen her. "I don't care if you're an adult, you're in my house and you will not act like that. Go to your room, young man, we will talk about this later. Mikaela, I'll take you home since my son seems to have a stick shoved up his ass."

Well, nobody could say Judy Witwicky was subtle. Mikaela almost laughed at the shock on Sam's face but the urge was gone when his face hardened and he strode quickly out the back door without so much as glancing at his fiancée when he stalked past her.

The two women shared a look of utter confusion before silently going out to Judy's car. Neither had an idea what to say about Sam's uncharacteristic blow up.

Hours later, Mikaela still had no idea why Sam had gotten so angry. It was nearing two in the morning, and he'd yet to come over. They'd been arguing like this a lot over the last few months, but never for this long and never this bad. This was the first time they'd really ever yelled at each other like that. It wasn't even the first time she'd tried to use his car to get away from him, but he'd never so cold-heartedly told her no before. Every other time, he'd let her take the bright yellow car without a word. What she'd seen earlier that day was a side of him she hadn't known existed.

What was happening to them? They never fought like this. Sure, they had their spats and it had been a rough year for them, but it was never over something so ridiculous. She'd been kept hostage for three months, for God's sake, and suddenly they were arguing over stupid shit every other day it seemed like. For the most part, they were fine and happy and so completely in love, but moments like this were becoming more frequent. There were times it seemed like they walked on eggshells around each other; it was as if they were anticipating the next argument and trying to postpone it as long as they could without knowing how to completely prevent it. She had no idea what was causing all this turbulence in their relationship, but she was getting seriously tired of it.

Maybe she was wrong to have antagonized him, but she hadn't been kidding when she said his playfulness got annoying. Again, it never used to but he never got carried away with it. There was just so much that was…different now.

Mikaela was pulled from her thoughts when she heard the lock on the front door click. Sam was the only other person to have a key so she knew it was him. His footsteps were slow as he made his way to the living room where she sat rigidly and refused to look at him despite feeling his eyes boring a hole through her.

"Hi," Sam said softly.

There was no reaction, no acknowledgment, from her that he'd even spoken a word.

"I'm sorry," He tried again.

Still, she didn't say a word.

"Mikaela, talk to me," He pleaded and moved to kneel in front of her. "Don't shut me out."

"I don't want to fight with you," Her eyes finally lifted to meet his and it was obvious to see she was still hurting. "And that seems to happen almost every time we talk now."

"I know and that's because of me," Sam smiled guiltily. "Your fiancée is a selfish jackass who loves you so much it's going to get you killed one day."

"What are you talking about?"

"I heard you talking to Christian about how much more dangerous your life was since we met and how you were constantly looking over your shoulder waiting to be attacked again."

"That was a month ago!" Mikaela exclaimed. "Why haven't you said anything before now?"

"Because it's true," He muttered darkly. "You were held hostage for three months because you're with me. I'm fighting with myself because my head and my heart are telling me two different things and that's why sometimes I act like a dick and sometimes I don't."

"Excuse me?" She couldn't believe there had been even a second where he'd questioned their relationship, much less an entire month's worth of it.

"My head keeps telling me if I loved you as much as I say I do, I should quit being selfish and let you go so you can be safe," Sam reached out and tenderly cupper her cheek. "But my heart says there's no life without you."

"I'm not gonna deny I told Chris that 'cause I did, but I also told her that it didn't matter 'cause I love you so much it's unhealthy and I knew you'd stop at nothing to protect me. I also told her I hated you for turning us into a cliché but that's beside the point," The both laughed and she placed her hand over his. "But you have to talk to me when something is on your mind. If we can't let each other in, why the hell are we getting married?"

"I know baby, but I didn't wanna pile anymore crap on you when you're already dealing with so much," In one smooth move he was up on the couch with her in his lap and arms locked around her waist.

"Sammy, I'm not fragile," She chastised and he nodded sheepishly. "I want you to come to me when you're upset because I love you and I want to help you get through it."

"Yes ma'am," Sam joked and she kissed his jaw.

"Good. Now that you're done being a jackass," Mikaela gave him a pointed look. "Can we get to the movie and the cuddling…hopefully the making out too?"

Mikaela couldn't sleep. It was really bothering her that Sam had overheard that particular conversation and then held it in for so long. Those words had never been meant for him to hear; she knew he would beat himself up over it-and she'd been proven right. There had never been a moment where she'd resented him or regretted any part of their relationship. The danger was just something that came along with loving him, especially now, and she'd long ago accepted it.

Sam grunted in his sleep and pulled Mikaela closer into his side. She smiled at the subconscious movement in his sleep. They were still curled up on the couch where they had drifted off at some point while they'd been watching movies.

"What are you doing?" He mumbled with his eyes still closed.

"Thinking," She laid her head on his shoulder and ran her hand along his forearm.

"'Bout what?"

"Us. The day we met," She revealed softly and bit her lip. "The way things have been lately…"

"Neither of which are one of my finer moments," He groaned. "Why can't you be thinking about something happy?"

"I thought…here's another jackass who just wants in my pants," Mikaela continued on acting like she hadn't heard him. "Yet three years later, we're engaged and gonna get married in four months. And for the last month you've been acting like the jackass I expected you to be from the beginning."

"I'm sorry. I should've talked to you about it when it happened," A part of him wished she was still oblivious to what had been bothering him. "But it's one thing to blame myself; it's worse to hear that you agree."

"I don't blame you nor have I ever done so and the fact that you think I would hurts me," Mikaela said seriously and one look at her face showed the hurt she felt. "Just because I can acknowledge that being with you might sometimes be dangerous does not mean I blame you. Don't you dare put words in my mouth."

"See, this is why I didn't say anything. It just hurts you and pisses you off."

"Because you can't seem to get it through your hard ass head that I fucking love you and if I blamed you for all of it I wouldn't still be here three years later!" She exclaimed and pushed herself up from the back of the couch to turn and look at him through tear-filled eyes. "God, Sam, you asked me to marry you and I said _yes_. Does that not mean anything?"

"Mikaela, it means everything, but I'm supposed to protect you and I didn't. You went through hell because I couldn't, and there's a part of me that's always going to hate myself for it," Sam admitted and avoided meeting her eyes.

"Do you feel that?" She took his hand and held it over her heart. "I'm _fine_. Yes, it sucked what happened, but I'm still here."

"I know that, but I still feel like I let you down."

"But you didn't," Mikaela argued and when she spoke again her voice was gentle. "I know you would stop at absolutely nothing to protect me. Sometimes shit just happens; that's life. Please stop blaming yourself for something you couldn't prevent."

"You don't think it's my fault?" He asked in a small voice and suddenly all she wanted to do was hold him until that vulnerable look in his eyes went away. All of her anger melted away when she realized this all boiled down to him truly thinking she blamed him for the kidnapping.

"No, baby, I don't," She gave him a soft smile and tenderly touched his face. "I just wanna put it in the past and focus on the fact that I'm marrying the man of my dreams in four months despite all the hell we've been through over the last year. My boy is stubborn as hell and he drives me insane sometimes, but I get to spend the rest of my life with him and that's all I want to think about."

"I love you," His deep brown eyes revealed the truth of his words. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

"I ask myself that every day," She laughed at the affronted look on his face. "I'm kidding. I love you too Sam Witwicky."

"Even when I'm a jerk?"

"I may not like you when you're a jerk, but I still love you," She pressed her lips to his. "But that doesn't give you a free pass to be an asshole just 'cause I'll still love you anyway."

"Of course not darlin'," Sam wrapped his arms tighter. "You deserve better than that."

"I don't care about what I do or don't deserve, just be the guy who saves the world from giant evil robots without batting an eye but can't tell his girlfriend of two years that he loves her 'cause he's too scared. As long as I have him, that's all I'll ever need."

Mikaela was almost asleep when she felt Sam pick her up in his arms and carry her to the bedroom. The first rays from the sun sent a little sliver of light through the window and she turned her back to keep it from shining into her eyes as the sun began to rise higher. Sam climbed in on the other side and grinned when she slid closer to him. Even after three years, they still couldn't get enough of one another. It was like they were still in that new couple phase where they had to be constantly touching. For him, he hoped they never lost that. They were not the perfect couple, and nobody could ever accuse them of being so, but as long as she still curled her lithe frame into his side even after a night where they'd screamed and yelled and both walked out at one point then he knew they would be fine. He might drive her crazy sometimes and she might piss him off, but that's just the way they were and that's what made them work so well.


	33. Chapter 33

**I know, I know. I'm still horrible. This chapter was actually supposed to be longer but since it's been a little over a month since my last update, I wanted to stop it where it was so I could update and make all of y'all happy. :) So this is actually going to be a two-part chapter, and I'm working on the second half now. Hopefully it won't take very long, but school just started back up and I'm just a broke college kid so I'm swamped with work and classes.**

**Anyway, I hope y'all like this chapter and please, please review...you guys are the best form of inspiration ever.**

**And Brittany...you didn't even have to give me an electronic kick in the pants this time! Can't wait to hear what you think!**

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Mikaela woke up the morning of her birthday to find herself alone. She lay in bed thinking maybe Sam had just gone to the bathroom or to the kitchen for a glass of water, but the house was silent. He hadn't said anything the night before about leaving early to run an errand, but maybe he just went to his parents' house for some reason. He tried to spend quality time with his mom since they would be leaving in the next week to go back to the East Coast for the fall semester and she still wasn't totally happy with him living at Mikaela's, but it was Tuesday and she was at work—meaning, there was no way he was spending time with her.

Surely, though, he would've at least woke her up to tell her where he was going especially today of all days. A glance at the clock told her it was a little after 9:00. They usually didn't get out of bed until close to 11 since it was summer and they didn't have to work. One good thing about all this Decepticon crap was they were essentially set for life. So if he wasn't with his mom and he wasn't working…where could that boy possibly be?

_He'd better not have forgotten my birthday and rushed out to get something while I was asleep_, Mikaela thought as she reached for her phone. Of course, he'd never forgotten it before so it was unlikely he had this time. Again, the question remained: where was he?

"Just wanted to see where you were since you're not here. Call me when you get this," She left a message when he didn't answer.

Ideally, she would've liked to turn over and go back to sleep but since she was wide-awake she decided instead to get up and take a shower. This was her first birthday without her dad and she wanted to go to the cemetery. It was true he'd missed several of them during the time he was in prison, but there had always been a card and a letter waiting for her. A part of her had always resented the few pieces of paper that took his place, but now she wished for the prison-issued items. It was going to be hard making it through the day knowing she would have neither, and she hadn't been prepared for how much it would hurt.

In the bathroom, she let her tears fall freely. Her dad would never have won father of the year, but she still loved him. Nobody was perfect and she understood that his mistakes had cost him more than some, but despite all the bad things he'd done she would still give anything to have him back. Sometimes she forgot he had died with the kidnapping happening so soon after learning he was gone, and she wasn't sure she'd really been able to grieve. Maybe that was why she suddenly felt like there was a hole in her heart the size of Texas and it hurt to breathe. All the things she would miss suddenly hit her full force: who would walk her down the aisle? What about when they had kids, who would be their grandpa? Logically, she knew Ron would adore his grandchildren but it wasn't enough. Who would teach her little boy all about cars and how to fix them? A love of cars had been passed down in her family for generations; she still remembered her own grandpa tell his stories about working on cars with his dad.

Mikaela slid down the shower wall when the tears came so hard she could no longer support herself. The water had already turned cold but she never noticed. Guilt consumed her for taking so long to break down over the loss of her dad; although she knew if he had been watching over her he would not blame her. Another small part of her grew angry that Sam was nowhere to be found when she needed him the most, but there had been no way to predict she would lose it today. He would be there if he had known, so she forced herself to let it go. There was no sense in being mad at him when she knew he would be furious enough with himself for not being there if he ever knew how upset she was.

Then again, maybe it was best he didn't know. He would never let her go to the cemetery alone in the state she was in, and that was something she needed to do by herself. Not only was it her birthday, it would be the first time she actually visited his grave. Right after getting back to town, she'd tried to go see him but couldn't make it any farther than the gate. She thought that would have caused her to lose it and break down into tears, but instead it almost had the opposite effect. Ever since then, it was like she completely blocked her dad's death out of her mind. Despite living in his house or selling the shop and the truck, she refused to think about it. Obviously she knew it had happened, but if she didn't think about it then it couldn't hurt her.

There was no ignoring her dad's absence on her birthday, however. The man was gone, never coming back, and she never got to tell him she loved him one last time.

Somehow, she found the inner strength to stop the tears long enough to finish her shower and get ready. One look in the mirror revealed puffy, red eyes but she ignored it in an attempt not to start bawling again before she got to his grave.

What a great way to start her birthday: an absent fiancée and finally mourning the loss of her father.

She wasn't really in the mood to put a lot of effort in the way she looked; after all, she was just going to talk to a concrete gravestone that represented all she had left of her father.

It was another 30 minutes before she got to the gates of the cemetery. This was where she'd stopped that one time before and, with a deep breath, she drove through and back to where she knew his grave was. Her aunt had given her directions once she got back to town and the hand drawn map was burned into her brain.

Her eyes were already filling up with tears as she talked from the car to his grave.

"Hi daddy," Mikaela whispered and reached out to touch the gravestone with her fingertips. "I miss you."

She sat with her back against the concrete, her thoughts all over the place and jumbled up in one big mess.

"I guess it's crazy thinking you'll say something back," A tear slipped down her cheek. "It's my birthday. The first without you. But you already know that, don't you?"

In the movies, this was the moment where a ghost of the lost loved one would appear and provide some form of comfort; give the survivor a sense of direction and how to move on. However, this was real life and Mikaela was still all alone with nothing but a headstone and her thoughts.

"Sam proposed to me. He did it on New Year's Eve and it was perfect. I wish I could've told you that while you were still here, but I never expected you to die. There's so much I'd change if I could go back. I should've tried to help you more after you got out. If you were here, I know you would tell me it's not my fault and deep down I know that but I should've done something."

Tears fell with the same intensity as they had only an hour before.

"I'm sorry it took so long for me to come here. I know you're watching over me so you know what's happened but that's no excuse. I want you to know I don't hate you. I forgive you for everything that happened. I hate that I never got the chance to tell you that or that I love you because I could really use another one of your hugs. I'd give anything to tell you that.

"I'm sad you won't get to walk me down the aisle and give me away. I don't know who will, but I know you'll be there too. You're not here and I can't see you, but you're in my heart. I love you daddy and I miss you so much."

Mikaela continued to talk to her dad for a while longer. Even before his death, it had been months since she talked to him last so there was plenty she had to tell him. Tears continued to fall long after she thought they would have dried up.

She told him about the three months she'd spent in that room, went deeper into detail about the beatings she'd sustained and the all-consuming fear she'd felt than she ever had with Sam. It was easier to let it all out to someone who wasn't technically there where she would be forced to see the horror on his face. Sam would want her to talk about it, she knew, but he already punished himself enough over it that she didn't want to tell him how bad it really was.

An hour passed by without her even knowing it. Mikaela had run out of things to say, but she wasn't ready to leave yet. By now her throat was scratchy from talking so much and a fresh wave of tears came pouring out when she realized she just said more to her dad's gravestone than she ever had to the man when he was alive. Her heart was heavy with a slew of regrets, but if there was one thing she knew about her dad it was that he would not want her to dwell on his death. Only 20 years old, her whole life was blossoming in front of her and he would want her to move on and focus on her future.

After sitting in the silence for close to another half hour, she finally felt a sense of peace. The grief had yet to pass and she knew she wasn't close to being okay, but for the first time she finally accepted he was gone. Moving on would take some time, but she had a man at home who would hold her hand every step of the way.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Sam demanded the instant she walked in the door. "I've been calling you for an hour."

"I went to the cemetery to see my dad," Mikaela tossed her keys on the counter and went to grab something to drink from the refrigerator.

"You couldn't have called and told me that? Hell, even a text would've been nice," He said still upset. "You can't just disappear like that. I almost called Lennox."

"You weren't even here when I woke up and you didn't answer your phone when I called," She walked over to where he stood and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm sorry. I should've told you but I needed to go and that's all I was thinking about. Can we please not fight? I've cried my eyes out for the last three hours and I really just want you to hold me."

"Oh, baby. I'm not mad. You just worried me when you wouldn't answer," He kissed the top of her head. "I would've gone with you."

"I know, but I needed to go by myself."

"You okay?"

"Not really, but it's gonna get better," She put on a brave smile but he knew she was still hurting. "And I have you."

"You'll always have me," Lips touched her forehead tenderly. "I have something that will cheer you up if you feel up to it."

"Is it why you were gone earlier?"

"Yes, and before you say anything—no I didn't forget your birthday and get something at the last minute," Sam quirked an eyebrow when she got a sheepish look on her face. "Give me some credit, babe. Close your eyes."

Mikaela felt him place his hands on her hips to guide her out of the kitchen. Based on the directions he took her and the short distance, she figured they were in the living room when they stopped. Curiosity rolled off her in waves and the complete lack of sound gave no clues as to what awaited her.

"Open your eyes," Sam whispered and stepped back.

Sitting on the couch when she opened her eyes were Christian, Rachel, and Balie. Her eyes darted from the girls to Sam and back to the girls before finally resting on Sam.

"What…how…they're here?" The last part sounded questioning.

"Thank you for clearing that up," Sam laughed.

"Ohmigod, they're here!" Mikaela ran to the couch and tried to hug all three at once. "Wait…why are they here?"

"Here's the real surprise," He pulled something from his back pocket and brandished it with a smile. "You four ladies are going shopping."

"Sam," Mikaela cut him off.

"I know you're gonna say it's too much and none of you can take it, but I want to do this," Sam looked each girl in the eye. "The money isn't an issue. Whether you spend 50 bucks a piece or two grand, all I care about is that y'all have a great time."

"Baby, I love you and this is amazing," Mikaela moved over to where he was standing. "But you can't keep spending tons of money on me. First the car and now this? I don't need extravagant gifts every Christmas and birthday."

"I know, but we almost didn't get to celebrate your birthday," His eyes got a haunted look in them and they knew he was referring to the kidnapping. "So yes maybe this is outrageous, but it's completely worth it to me and I'll do it over and over again if it means you're here to argue with me about spending too much money on you."

"The best gift you can give me is a kiss and an 'I love you,'" She said softly and reached for his hand. "I don't need a credit card with no limit."

"Well I love you," He said then kissed her on the lips. "Please just take it and understand that I really want to do this."

"And if I say no?"

"That's your choice I guess," Sam shrugged. "I'm gonna go take a nap. Come see me before you leave?"

"Are you mad?" Mikaela bit her lip worriedly. She could tell this meant a lot to him, but even though he was giving it to her, she felt like using his credit card to pay for their shopping spree was taking advantage of him.

"As long as you go out and have a great time, even if you don't spend anything, I'll be happy," She still didn't look convinced, "I promise."

Sam disappeared back to their bedroom. He'd had to be to the airport by 10 because Balie's plane landed at 10:25 so he'd been forced to leave the house at 8:30. Rachel's plane was a little late but Christian's flight wasn't due to land until 11:45 so the 20-minute delay hadn't been an issue. Needless to say, having to wake up at 7:30 instead of almost 11 like he was used to was no fun for the young man. He hadn't planned to go with them anyway so while they were gone he would take a nap.

Unfortunately, now he felt like an insensitive jackass. The thought that this could be a bittersweet birthday without her dad had never crossed his mind. On a day like today, she should have never woke up alone because he forgot. It was just he'd put so much thought and effort into coordinating flights from three different cities and making sure she had her best friends here with her that it never occurred to him she may not have even wanted to celebrate it this year.

Downstairs, the three visitors were still watching their friend hesitantly. Her eyes were still staring at the hallway where Sam had disappeared to the bedroom several moments ago. This had the makings of an argument like all the ones they seemed to have lately. His heart was in the right place so she couldn't really be mad at him, but she didn't want pricey gifts for every important occasion. Every once in a while was fine yet he'd bought her the Camaro for Christmas which was in no way cheap and now he wanted her to go out and rack up a ridiculous credit card bill.

"Well happy birthday love," Christian broke the silence. Balie and Rachel echoed similar sentiments.

"I'm so glad you guys are here," Mikaela smiled brightly for the second time that day and fell onto Christian's lap where they sat on the couch.

"Your boy is one of a kind," Balie laughed. "He's the only guy I know who would fly his girl's three best friends into town for a night from across the country and then hand off a credit card and say 'have fun.'"

"Yeah, he's something alright," She looked in the direction of their bedroom. "And I think I hurt his feelings. Let me go talk to him and then we can go."

"Do something with your hair. I'm not goin' in public with you looking like that," Rachel teased and Mikaela threw a pillow at her.

"Bitch," She rolled her eyes and laughed. "Make yourselves at home while I go talk to Sam and make myself presentable enough to be seen in public with Queen Rachel over there."

Mikaela sidestepped the retaliating pillow from Rachel and laughed at the dirty look thrown her way as she walked back to where her fiancée was laying in the bed. He didn't hear her come in so she crawled on the end of the bed and straddled his waist.

"You're upset," She stated after seeing his face.

"Kind of," He admitted.

"Why?"

"I just wanted you to have a birthday you'd never forget but you hate it and I never even thought about the fact you may not want to celebrate it because of your dad and I wasn't here when you woke up," Mikaela reached down and laced her fingers through his on his stomach.

"I don't hate it. The girls being here is the best surprise ever. I just don't want you to think I expect a ridiculously expensive present every Christmas or birthday or whichever holiday in between," She said softly.

"I know you don't. I just wanna give you the world."

"Baby you already gave me the world," She moved her hands until they rested over his heart. "That's all I need."

"Are you mad at me?" Sam looked up at her nervously. "For spending too much money?"

"No, but this means you can't go crazy at Christmas," Mikaela smiled and kissed him. "Just tell me one thing."

"What's that?"

"Am I gonna get to spend any time with my fiancée on my birthday?"

"Absolutely," He pulled her arms so she was forced to lay flat against his chest. "You're mine tonight." His lips met hers in a fiery kiss.

"Mmm, I can't wait," She smiled against his lips. "I gotta get ready before the girls get mad. I love you."

"I love you too," He let her get up and watched her from his back. "Call me in a little while. And please don't leave with anyone but them okay?"

"Yes sir," Mikaela rolled her eyes at his protectiveness. "I'll be home soon. I promise."


	34. Chapter 34

**Umm...hi guys! Miss me? Hate me? Does it help that this chapter is like double the length as the other one? Yes, I know, it's been like two months since an update and I pretty much wrote the entire chapter over the last week (thank you Brittany for that recurring electronic kick in the pants!) I gotta say I'm actually really happy with the way this one turned out. I had an idea for it and I was finally able to get it to come out the way I wanted it to. **

**I'm thinking we'll probably be wrapping this up in the next few chapters, maybe four or five. I've already got the epilogue mapped out and I really, really need to get it typed before I forget. I never, ever expected what I thought was a little idea to become what it's turned into and I'm so unbelievably grateful for all the readers who have stuck around. Can you believe it's almost been two years? That's sad, considering 2/3 of it came out in like the first six months...oops ;) This story has carried me through some tough times, and I'll be sad to see it end but I assure you it WILL be finished. I hate finding a story I fall in love with just to realize it stops somewhere in the middle (or in this case close to the end). I hope there are people out there who are as in love with my writing as I've been with others. You guys have no idea how much it means that there are people out there who appreciate (or at the very least, acknowledge) my writing. I love you guys!**

**Before I let you get on with it, I'd like to point out that this chapter cause me to realize one HUGE mistake I've made with this story. So far, nobody has called me on it (not even you Brittany!) and I've gotta say I'm surprised. I felt like an idiot when I figured it out. Let's see if anyone else can pick up on it, and in the next update (which will NOT be in two months!) I'll tell y'all what it is. There's also a note at the bottom clearing up a plot discrepancy that I know I've made, but it had to be done to make this chapter work.  
**

**Don't own Transformers, Venice Beach (I wouldn't be able to tell it apart from any other beach if you showed me a picture. I've never been there or any other beach for that matter), or anything else recognizable. I think that covers all of it, but it's 1 in the morning and my brain's too tired to remember what I just finished writing.  
**

* * *

Sam Witwicky was, for all intents and purposes, a genius.

Well—for today, anyway.

His unexpected, overly generous birthday shopping spree?

Mikaela turned it into a wedding spree. That way, she could spend Sam's money without feeling bad and he wouldn't get upset that she didn't spend any money at all. It was a win-win situation. He had unwittingly handed her the perfect opportunity to do quite a bit of wedding shopping before the semester started, giving them less to worry about while they were also trying to stay on top of school work. They had spent many a night laying in bed talking about the wedding so she already knew what things he was leaving up to her and what they wanted to do together.

The girls were more than happy to be her so-called wedding consultants, but Mikaela saw the truth for what it was: they just wanted to try on pretty dresses.

There was no hiding their excitement when Mikaela mentioned looking for bridesmaid and maid of honor dresses.

Except now, four hours and 30-something dresses later, most of that excitement was replaced with frustration and exhaustion.

"Seriously, Mik, we've been to a hundred stores and tried on a million dresses," Christian plopped down on the seat next to her. "You didn't like not even one of them? C'mon, dude, don't be a wedding Nazi."

"I am not being a wedding Nazi!" She shot her maid of honor a dirty look. "I just want everything to be absolutely perfect."

"Babe, it's you and Sam. It already _is_ perfect," Christian laid her head on Mikaela's shoulder tiredly. Who knew trying on dresses could wear a girl out so completely? "Besides, it doesn't matter if you get us one-of-a-kind custom-made dresses by the best designer in the world, we're still gonna look like crap standing next to you."

Moments later, Balie and Rachel walked out in the most gorgeous midnight blue dresses Christian or Mikaela had ever seen. There was a slight metallic tint in the shade that only served to enhance the other two girls' radiance.

"You're an idiot if you say no to this one," Christian muttered. "That dress is perfect."

Mikaela was momentarily speechless. After all the dresses her three best friends had tried on, she too had grown frustrated at not being able to find the perfect dress. It'd been a long afternoon and she was just about to give up for the day, but this last dress...it was way more than she'd ever imagined. Starting out, she'd had a mental picture of what she wanted the girls to wear but this was the only one that had even come close, much less completely surpassed it.

"Mikaela I love you, but so help me God if I have to try on one more dress," Rachel threatened as her silence continued. "You won't be making it home to your fiancée tonight."

"It's perfect," She finally breathed and all the girls smiled in relief. "I want both of those."

"Thank God," Christian grumbled and received an elbow to her side for the remark.

The girls disappeared to change back into their clothes while Mikaela went to pay for the two dresses before asking if she could come back and pick them up since there wasn't room in the Camaro. They would have to borrow Judy's Expedition and she and Sam could do that sometime in the next couple of days.

They stopped to grab a bite to eat since the other three were starving. She'd been texting Sam off and on all afternoon. They were all cheesy messages along the lines of 'I love you' or how she couldn't wait to see what he had planned for her birthday, nothing all too important, but she knew he would go nuts with worrying if she didn't say anything to him while they were out considering what had happened the last time she'd been shopping with her three best friends.

Mikaela also didn't want to upset the girls by texting her fiancée all afternoon when they'd flown into the city just to celebrate her birthday with her so she kept it short and sweet and luckily he seemed to understand that.

This was definitely turning out to be the best birthday ever. There was still a bittersweet feeling since it was the first without her dad, but Sam had managed to make it not so hard. She was completely thrilled Christian, Balie, and Rachel were here but she wished he wouldn't throw money around when it came to buying her things even if they _did_ have plenty of money. It was amazingly sweet, but she didn't want him thinking she expected him to go all out for her every single holiday.

Breakfast in bed would've been enough for her. Hell, she would've been thrilled to spend the whole day in bed with him, but she wasn't ungrateful because his heart was always in the right place and that was all that mattered.

Sam was playing video games in the living room when they got back from the mall and it was impossible to miss the way his eyes lit up when he spotted his fiancée enter the living room.

"Hey baby," He got up to meet her halfway and wrapped his arms around her. "Did you have fun?"

"She made us try on a gazillion dresses," Rachel cut in grumpily and fell down into the chair.

"I did not! It was only like 40," Mikaela argued and turned to Sam. "Yes, we had fun but we're all worn out now."

"You didn't buy anything?" He tried not to sound upset.

"We bought Rachel and Balie's bridesmaids' dresses," She smiled sheepishly. "It seemed like the perfect opportunity."

"Well, I told you to get whatever you wanted," Sam chuckled. "Should've known if you were gonna blow my money, it would be for the wedding."

"Just be glad you didn't have to suffer through it," Mikaela shot Christian a dirty look at her words.

"I told you, I just want it—" Christian cut her off, having already heard the same speech earlier that day.

"I know, I know. You want everything to be perfect. Freaking wedding Nazi," She muttered the last part under her breath but they all heard her anyway.

"Bitch," Mikaela threw a pillow at her best friend.

Sam watched the girls bicker back and forth until Balie shot him a pleading look he knew only too well. The girls argued like sisters and they could go at it all night if someone didn't stop them. They rarely ever actually got mad at each other; if they did it never lasted longer than an hour at most.

"Ladies, it's been awful nice," Sam stepped forward and picked Mikaela up bridal style. "But you three have been hoggin' my woman and I think it's my turn."

Mikaela's laughter and cries of "Sam put me down!" were heard as he carried her down the hallways to their bedroom.

He tossed her down on the bed and, before she had a chance to protest at the not-so-graceful landing, his body was covering her own. A knowing smirk was on her face. Sam didn't get jealous; it wasn't in his nature. In times like this, thought, he would get jealous in a childish, teasing sort of way—hence him stealing her way from the three best friends she'd spent the afternoon with.

"I missed you," He muttered with his lips so close to hers she could feel them forming the words.

"Missed you too baby," Mikaela couldn't find it in her to tease him, not when she felt the same way.

"I gotta leave pretty soon."

"Why?" She gave him a funny look.

"I'm taking you out tonight. We both gotta get ready," He kissed the side of her mouth. "And I wanna do the whole date thing. Y'know...show up at 8, knock on your door, let you blow me away with how amazing you look."

"Sam," Mikaela grabbed his jaw so he was forced to look her in the eye. "I told you you didn't have to go all out. It's just my birthday. We can stay in and just hang out."

"I don't have some fancy, expensive dinner planned. I promise," He smiled softly. "Trust me?"

"You know I do," Laughter from the living room reminded her of their guests. "What about them?"

"Already got it covered. I've been planning this since before I decided to bring them all here. They've all got tickets for that Usher concert tonight," He knew what she was thinking by the look on her face. "_No_ I didn't buy the tickets for them. I offered, but they wouldn't let me. I just called in a favor and got them good seats, but they paid for them."

"You've gotta stop taking advantage of this whole saving-the-world thing," Mikaela rolled her eyes. Called in a favor? More like he called Keller and of course nobody's gonna tell the Secretary of Defense no.

"They owe us. May as well take the perks than let them go to waste."

"When do you have to leave?" Rather than look at the clock on her bedside table, Sam slid his hand into her back pocket and pulled out her cell phone.

"How long's it gonna take you to get ready?" The display on her phone showed it was a few minutes after 5.

"What am I supposed to wear since you're being all secretive?" Suddenly the pillow seemed to catch all his interest by the way he wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Just pick something out of the closet," He answered vaguely.

"Well that helps," She said sarcastically. "Considering I have everything from pajamas to dresses all hanging together in the closet."

"I know you'll pick the right thing."

"You're so frustrating sometimes," Mikaela grumbled and it was all he could do to keep the smile off his face. "You'd better hope I can get ready in less than three hours since you won't tell me what to wear."

"In that case, I think I'll be leaving now," Sam rolled off her but she turned her body back into his and pressed her lips to his in a tender kiss.

"Whatever you've got planned...I know I'm gonna love it," She whispered against his lips.

He was defenseless against those eyes and what was meant to be a goodbye kiss soon turned heated. Next thing he knew, her legs were straddling his waist and his hands were slowly sliding up her sides underneath her shirt. When they rose high enough his fingertips were almost grazing the underwire of her bra, she giggled and pushed them back down. Her sexy little wink was almost missed by him when she dove to his neck and nipped at the skin just below his ear where his jawbone ended. He tried to slip his hands back underneath her shirt, desperate to feel her warm skin, but she refused his attempts and, this time, grabbed his wrists and held them over his head against the pillow. They both knew he could easily overpower her, but he loved it when she took control from him.

All Mikaela cared about was driving him crazy. Technically that wouldn't be too hard since she still, three years later, had the ability to turn him back into that virginal 16-year-old boy who was wound tight with hormones and couldn't get enough of her. Just because they waited so long to have sex didn't mean they never fooled around or had intense make-out sessions; on the contrary, they spent quite a bit of their second year in the backseat of his infamous Camaro or in her bed, never going too far but always just far enough that Sam was left quivering with a need he couldn't express in words but the depth of which was always plainly visible in those chocolate brown eyes.

That's what she wanted now: to take him to the brink and leave him begging for more. It was in no way malicious but they'd spent the last nine months or so with drama after drama after drama and she wanted to take them back to where they came from, to what made them _them. _

Of course, it didn't help matters any that he looked oh-so-sexy in that skin tight, V-neck undershirt and basketball shorts he always wore around the house. Sam knew it too—she'd made the mistake of admitting it to him once and ever since those were his pajamas of choice. The only thing that looked better on him were a pair of sweats hanging off his hips with his boxers teasingly peaking out underneath when he wasn't wearing a shirt, but it was the middle of summer in California so she was forced to deal without that look. Really, though, who could blame them? Maybe they were engaged, maybe they'd been through hell and back a time or two (or three or four—it _had_ been a rough year), but she was still a teenage girl and he a teenage boy and physical attraction still ran rampant through their blood.

"I gotta get in the shower," Mikaela hopped off the bed after releasing his lips from a particularly sensual kiss that had his chest heaving as he fought to regain his breath.

"What?" She giggled at the bewildered look on his face.

"I have a date with my fiancée tonight which means you gotta go."

"That guy's a lucky bastard," Sam said playfully.

"He definitely is," She played along. "And he won't be very happy with you if you keep me from getting ready. He's been so amazing to me lately, and I wanna blow him away tonight."

"Somethin' tells me you do that every time you smile at him 'cause it makes my heart stop when you smile at me," Sam's words melted her heart and he stood up from the bed to kiss her one last time. "Absolutely breathtaking..."

"Get out of here Casanova," Mikaela laughed and kissed his cheek. If she let herself kiss him again, she didn't think she'd ever make it to the shower—alone at least. "I'll see you soon. Love you."

* * *

The house was unusually quiet as Mikaela finished getting ready. The girls had left an hour before to make it to the Staples Center on time and Sam had obediently gone home to his parents' house when she'd kicked him out earlier that evening.

It hadn't been until she went to choose her outfit (that he'd been of no help whatsoever with steering her in any kind of direction) that she realized the meaning behind his words. When she'd slid the doors open, hanging in the center of the closet was a dress she knew hadn't been there that morning when she'd gotten dressed to go out with the girls.

Her initial reaction was to get angry with him for spending even more money on her (just by looking at it she knew it was pricey) but she forced herself to let it go. The night was obviously important to him, he'd put a lot of work into planning it, and she wasn't going to let the money thing get in the way.

The dress was gorgeous, there was no denying that. Pride swelled within her that her boy had picked out something so amazing and she'd definitely be thanking him for it later. It was a baby blue color with thin straps that was just tight enough around the top and flowed out at the bottom. The neckline was a little deeper than she normally wore, but was still tasteful. Her favorite part about it was the bow in the front with a starburst type design on it with tails that hung down to her waist. It would draw attention, she knew, but not so much that she would be uncomfortable. Of course, she had no idea where they were going, so that may or may not even be an issue.

Sam hadn't gotten any shoes to go with it (he was a boy after all—he didn't think about these things!) but that was okay because she already had the perfect heels to wear with it so she was glad he hadn't.

Her hair she'd given a slight wave to it so that it wasn't quite curly but not quite straight at the same time. She pulled it up so that only her bangs framed her face, but casual enough to keep her from being over or underdressed.

The doorbell rang at precisely 8 o'clock and Mikaela couldn't help the excited grin that appeared on her face as she put the finishing touches on her makeup. Satisfied with her appearance, she all but raced to the front door and tried not to throw it open in her excitement.

He wasn't there.

Instead, a single red rose and a card with her name on it lay on the porch where he should have stood.

She knelt to pick them up and slowly opened the card, almost nervous to see what it would say.

_Mikaela,_

_One night while you were...gone, I promised myself when we got you back I was gonna show you how much I love you. The past year has been so hectic, I feel like we've started to lose ourselves. It took me a while to figure out how to show you, but I figured on your birthday I wanted to take you back to the nights that mean so much to me. You're a part of every one of them, but I want you to see it through my eyes. Then, of course, it took forever to choose which moments—every day we've spent together could apply but I finally got it narrowed down. _

_You look amazing, by the way, and I can say that before I see you because you always take my breath away. _

_There's a car in the driveway with a driver. His name's Ed. Get that look off your face honey, he's an old family friend and yes I know it's a magnificent old car but he was all too happy to help me when I explained it to him and all he's letting me pay for is gas. I promised you I wouldn't spend an ungodly amount on you tonight, and I meant it._

_I can't wait to see you so please go get your butt in that car so you can hurry up and get to me._

_I love you._

Mikaela shook her head in amusement when she finished reading. The words were so him it was crazy—serious, but just a touch of silliness.

Ed was waiting at the door for her when she approached the car and he tipped her hat as she slid in the backseat.

"Good evening Ms. Mikaela," The elderly man had a grandpa feel to him. Even before he spoke to her, she knew he was a sweet old man and instantly she knew why Sam had asked for his help.

"Hi Ed," She smiled widely. "Where are we going?"

He slipped her another card to her and gave her a knowing grin.

"You tell me."

_Hello again._

_There's one night I still think about and get embarrassed. Luckily you never laughed at me, but I tried so hard to impress you and all I did was make a fool of myself. Whatever I did must have worked because you're still here. _

_PS—when you get there, ask for Valerie._

She knew immediately the night he was talking about and gave Ed the name of the restaurant. It was their first date. He had managed to make a fool of himself that night, but she remembered thinking it was cute how much effort he put into making the night perfect to impress her and it made her like him that much more.

Ed found the location with ease and gave her an encouraging smile as she stepped out of the car. They'd made small talk on the way to the restaurant and she'd mentioned her fiancée's instructions to ask for a girl named Valerie. It wasn't every day she had to approach a complete stranger .

"Hi, I'm looking for Valerie," She said to the hostess at the door.

"I'm Valerie," The girl looked at her curiously.

"Sam sent me," Mikaela supplied and recognition dawned on her face.

"He told me you'd be here tonight," She reached under the counter and produced yet another card. "Asked me to give you this."

"Thank you," Mikaela turned to walk back through the door when Valerie spoke up again.

"If he proposes to you, just say yes," The hostess continued when Mikaela gave her a blank look. "I talked to him for five minutes and even I could tell you were his whole world."

"I already have," She held up her hand to show off her engagement ring before thanking her again.

Ed didn't say anything to her when she got back in the car, he simply turned the interior lights back on so she could see. Sam must've told him about all the cards.

_Ahh, the infamous first date._

_I'm still not sure how I got you to agree to go on a second date, but apparently this Witwicky had charm before he knew it! Or maybe you just felt sorry for me, but either way it worked because I asked you to marry me three years later and you said yes. _

_Did I ever tell you it took me three hours to get ready that night? Three. I'm not kidding. I'd had a crush on you for years; I wanted that night to be perfect._

…_And then I picked you up._

_You were stunning. I still remember exactly what you wore, how you smelled, the way your hair looked. That was the moment I realized your beauty came from inside._

_You looked like a supermodel; I was a complete dork, and yet you were on a date with me because for some reason you liked me. At least I did something right!_

_It started off the way I'd imagined—I showed up on time, brought you flowers, you looked excited to see me._

_I never prepared for that stupid crack in the sidewalk, and I know I looked like the biggest loser ever when I tripped and landed flat on my face. I wanted to die I was so embarrassed, but you just gave me that smile that still makes me weak in the knees after all this time and asked if I was okay._

_Dinner was…well, the food was good, but I was a wreck. I couldn't even play it cool. I spilled the water, dropped my fork in my plate and splashed sauce all over myself, and then to top it off I dropped dessert in my lap._

_I don't know that I've ever turned that red in my life. My ears still burn when I think about it._

_You know my favorite part of that night?_

_Miniature golf._

_Here we were, all dressed up for a fancy dinner…and you wanted to go play mini golf after we got done. Of course, there was no way I could tell you no. _

_I even tripped a couple of times there, but at least I didn't face plant. I think I made some corny joke about getting tripped up by your beauty and you laughed and pushed me._

_You thought I wouldn't notice, but I saw your hands shaking—you were nervous too. And that's all I needed to know. Even after getting dirt, water, and food all over my clothes, you were still nervous. Maybe if we'd admitted that in the first place, I could've given you the perfect first date I imagined us having._

_At the end of the night, I took you home, walked you to your door (without tripping this time!), and you kissed me on the cheek._

_From that moment, I was hooked._

Mikaela was laughing as she read the parts about all his bad luck. It was true, he'd been a major wreck that night. She had too, but somehow she'd managed to keep from doing anything stupid.

There was a note at the bottom to look inside the envelope for a clue where to go next. It was a small card with a single sentence.

_We played HORSE for hours and you beat me every time, but I came out the winner that night._

What the hell did that mean? She racked her brain trying to figure out which night he was referring to.

There was the night they—no, that wasn't it.

Or that one time she'd taken him to a party and they all played strip HORSE…except, wait, neither of them participated. He was still too shy around her friends and she was too shy to take her clothes off around him—that had been a new one for her, she remembered with a smile.

What about the night at the beach? No, that was the senior bonfire and they were all playing football.

She reread the clue and when she got to the last part, she remembered him singing the song by Jamie Foxx and it all clicked into place. He'd only ever sung it once—she told him to never do it again—and that was in his car.

It was about three weeks after their first date, and they'd been on eight or nine more by that point. Luckily, Sam didn't trip or spill anything on himself after the first one and they weren't always so extravagant, sometimes just watching a movie at one of their houses or going to the park, but they were always perfect in their own way.

"Ed, will you go to the playground at the elementary school by his house?" The smile on the old man's face gave her reassurance her guess was correct. So not only did Sam tell Ed about the cards, but also each specific location.

At least he was picking places that were relatively close to each other. Granted, in high school they hadn't wandered too far out of the area they'd grown up in despite the size of LA but there were a few times they had. She didn't want to spend her night driving all over the city or it'd take hours to get to him at the end of the night.

Although the night had just barely begun, she knew she was right in telling him earlier she would love whatever he had planned for her. This was so different than everything he'd done for her before. Before Egypt, he'd cooked dinner for her a couple of times to celebrate a birthday or an anniversary but he'd never gone to this much effort.

In a way, it was so cliché and so overused—a scavenger hunt for a date? Really?—but he'd put an original spin on it. Sam wasn't forcing her to look for material things, he wasn't creating a puzzle that revealed his location. She already knew all these places. He just wanted to show her how much he loved her in his own sweet, totally unexpected way. He wanted her to experience these nights all over again, but through his memories instead of hers.

There was a card taped to the pole supporting the basketball goal where they'd been that night and she snatched it immediately as soon as she could reach it.

_You remembered the song, didn't you?_

Mikaela laughed at his words. Of course he would know she'd figure it out that way.

_We spent that whole evening here. I'm pretty sure I got yelled at when I got home, but I didn't care. My ego was bruised 'cause I lost to a girl, but that girl was you and I'd take that any day. _

_Do you realize how hard it was to keep my hands off you when you were wearing that skimpy little t-shirt and my shorts? Why were you even wearing my shorts anyway? I don't know why you wouldn't let us run by your house so you could get some, but you were adamant about wearing mine._

_You were teasing me and you knew it. Every time you caught me staring, you had that same look in your eye. If I'd been weaker, we probably would've ended up making out on the merry-go-round. I say weaker (you'd probably say I was too chicken but who kissed who first after Mission City?) because I wanted to treat you right. I'd spent years watching you date guys who used you or treated you like some kind of property, and I didn't wanna do that. _

_Oh yeah, I was dying to kiss you again, darlin', you have no idea. _

_There's little else that feels more right than your lips against mine, and to say I was craving that sweet taste was an understatement. _

_We played one-on-one too. Remember that? Except the game never actually started, 'cause just as I was about to shoot you grabbed me and the ball went rolling to the other side of the blacktop._

_I could've stood there all night holding you._

_Something changed in that moment, and I know you felt it too. You're arms were just as tight around me as mine were around you._

_I finally got up the courage to officially ask you out—and you kissed me._

_On a kiddie playground in my shorts that were way too big for you, you whispered yes and you kissed me. _

_From that moment, you were mine._

Mikaela had been dying to kiss him that night too. Up until then, it had only ever been on the cheek or the forehead save for that one time on the hood of his beloved Camaro when he—yes he, shy little Sam Witwicky—attacked her with his lips. When he finally asked her to be his girlfriend, she couldn't take it anymore. It was the perfect moment, and the thought of not kissing him had been more than she could handle. The kiss had been magical, their surroundings only enhancing the moment because it was so completely them, and only one moment had ever been able to top it—his proposal.

There wasn't a note at the bottom, but she already to look for the slip of paper in the envelope. His next clue held none of the mystery the first two had, but she knew immediately the night he was talking about.

_Stay out of my treasure chest_.

Although he'd said similar words the night they were searching for his grandpa's glasses, there was another night he'd muttered those exact words. It had been an extremely emotional night, somewhere between a year and a year and a half after they started dating, but one of the most poignant.

That night he'd opened his soul to her in a way she knew he'd never even done with his own parents.

Ed obediently drove her to his parents' house, but she was too lost in her own thoughts to keep up a conversation with him.

"Hi Mikaela," She'd walked into the house without knocking and found his parents watching TV like so many nights before. "Don't worry, Sam told me. Go on up."

The black chest was in the same place it always was and even though she knew it was okay, she still felt weird about opening it. Her eyes had only seen the contents inside one time.

_I won't go as into detail about this one, but I know you'll understand. _

_Can I just say that you're amazing? We've been through a lot, but I can look back at this night and it tells me everything I need to know. You're perfect, baby, no matter what you think._

_I never planned to let anyone see inside this chest. My parents knew it existed, but they didn't look in it either. I think they knew how personal it was to me. _

_I was beyond furious when I caught you looking in it. It didn't matter how crazy I was about you, but in that first moment I never wanted to see you again. I'm sorry, I know that's hard to hear, but that's how I felt. If I could put my heart, my deepest thoughts and fears, in a box…it would've been this chest._

_You gave me this look, and I knew you figured out what it all meant. You looked guilty too because you knew how private I was about it, but there was this look in your eye and I crumbled._

_I'm not ashamed to admit I cried like a baby that night or even that I clung to you like you were my last breath. You are the first, and only, person I've ever talked to about that dark time my mom was sick. People knew, but I wouldn't talk about my feelings. I couldn't. It was too hard. _

_I mean, I was in middle school. My mom wasn't supposed to be dying. There weren't supposed to be close calls where we thought for sure she wouldn't wake up the next morning. _

_We went through that box that night. Every picture, every piece of paper, every object in there. I explained to you what everything meant and when it got so hard I couldn't talk, you sat there and cried with me. You refused to leave my side, even when I'd been so pissed off in the beginning._

_I'll never be able to put into words what that night means to me. I'll never be able to make you understand how we have so many incredible memories but that night, depressing as it is, will always be one of the things I remember most. You say I've helped you or I've saved you, but honey…you gave me life._

_From that moment, I knew I'd love you forever._

Mikaela bit her lip to keep from crying. She never grasped how much that night meant to him. It hadn't been a conscious choice for her to stay with him; there was no other place she would have rather been that night.

His emotion poured through in his words and she was overcome with a burning need to see him, to touch him. This whole experience had touched her deeply, but she just wanted him.

In his connecting bathroom, she checked her appearance to make sure her latest stop hadn't messed it up.

The next clue was just as simple as the first. LA held a lot of memories for them, but there was only one remaining that was up to par with the first three.

_Are you gonna kiss me or not?_

This one was the farthest away—Venice Beach.

Mikaela made sure to talk to Ed this time. The car ride would take half an hour at the least, and he'd been so wonderful to drive her around all night even though they were strangers in the beginning. He told her all about his family (14 grandkids!), where the gorgeous car came from, how long it took him to restore it to its original beauty. She learned he and his wife had been married more than 40 years and it was refreshing to see the way his face still lit up when he talked about her and she knew he was still as in love with her as he was the day he married her.

As they got closer to the beach, anxiety grew within her but it wasn't in a bad way. The clock now read 10:24 and all she knew was five and a half hours was entirely too long to go without talking to her fiancée. After the kidnapping, the two of them had become more attached at the hip than they already were.

Finally, after what felt like an _eternity_, Ed stopped the car in the parking lot where Sam's car also was. He made a comment about not seeing Sam, but she knew exactly where he was. They'd stumbled upon a hidden, secluded area one time and it'd become their thing. Every time they came to this particular beach, they always disappeared into it. Their friends would question them, but they never revealed the location. It was too private for them.

It was a long walk in heels—she'd have to hit him for not at least warning her to wear flats—but completely worth it when she arrived to her destination. They were surrounded by trees and it was still farther in than just the tree line. That's why nobody ever found them. There was no trail to guide them; it had merely been an accident they even found this place.

One question still remained: where was Sam? She was so certain he'd be here, but all she saw was yet another white envelope. There was a frown on her face as she slid the card out and once again began to read.

_What can I say about this night? Well, actually, there's a lot but it's highly inappropriate for what's supposed to be a romantic evening. _

_Tell me something, did you feel my heart pounding that night? Could you feel it?_

_I've been nervous and scared millions of times throughout my life, but that was nervousness in its most raw form. _

_I still can't believe you laughed at me when I told you to be gentle. Talk about a mood killer. Kidding baby. I laugh too when I think about it now, but in that moment I was completely serious._

_You already had my heart, even if you didn't know it, but I gave you everything I had that night. There's no piece of me left I haven't already given to you._

_You always hear people talking about a girl's first time, and how her first love takes it slow and makes sure it's okay…blah blah blah, you know where I'm going with that, but you never hear about the guy's first time. Before you, I always felt like a loser—hell, even Miles had lost his virginity!—but when you came around, it wasn't such a big deal. You didn't want to push it because you understood I just wasn't ready even if I wanted to be. _

_I'm still not sure how I managed to get you undressed without throwing my guts up, but I did. Of course, once you were naked, I totally froze up and that was embarrassing but I knew you didn't mind. To be honest, it was a while that night before I finally took in the sight of all of you. At the risk of sounding totally cheesy (but after tonight, could I possibly get any cheesier? You're lucky I love you so much), I was lost in your eyes. _

_It wasn't your first time, and I knew that. Maybe that made me more nervous, in fact I'm sure it did, but you were great about it. We both knew it was going to suck, but I was determined to make it as good for you as I could. _

_Easier said than done though because, like I said, I couldn't move. Completely naked on top of you, and I swear statues had a better chance of moving than I did. _

_Then you looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes of yours and all you said was "are you gonna kiss me or not?"_

_It didn't matter that it was my first time but it wasn't yours. It didn't matter that I was scared as hell and I felt like I was going to be sick. It didn't matter that we could be caught at any moment if somebody wandered far enough in. _

_What mattered was that it wasn't your first time but you waited a year and a half until I was ready to give you mine. What mattered was that it was you and me and maybe we hadn't said it and we still didn't that night, but we made love until the sun came up the next morning._

_From that moment, I knew there was no chance in hell I was ever going to let you go._

The sound of a twig breaking cause Mikaela's head to shoot up and she saw the man whose memories she'd been revisiting all night long. He didn't even have a chance to take another step before she was jumping into his arms—dressed up or not.

"First, I love you," She said kissing him. "Second, that was officially the best birthday present ever."

"So you liked it?" Sam asked hopefully.

"I loved it."

"Good. I was nervous you'd think it was too much, or too cheesy, or whatever."

"Cheesy, yes, but it was still amazing."

"It's not over," She looked at him in disbelief. "Well, we have to eat something."

He retreated in the direction he'd come from and produced a picnic blanket and a basket. She was expecting sandwiches and a bag of chips, but to her surprise he withdrew a takeout bag from the same restaurant they'd gone to on their first date.

"You look amazing," He complimented and kissed her cheek. "Just like I knew you would."

"My incredible fiancée picked out this stunning dress," Mikaela said playfully. "Do you like it?"

"Your fiancée has great taste."

"He's got me, doesn't he?" Sam rolled his eyes and pulled her to him so he could tickle her. She giggled and tried to get away from his fingers, but he refused to let her go no matter how hard she struggled against his body.

They sat down side by side on the blanket and he served them both plates of the still-warm dinner. Ed had called as instructed when he took Mikaela to the basketball court so he had a timeframe of Mikaela's impending arrival at the beach. It also left him with enough time to go pick up the food and make it back before she did.

She teased him about not spilling any food on himself this time, but he quickly retorted that he was no longer the same shy dork that couldn't keep his composure around her. Before long they were bickering back and forth about their embarrassing moments in front of each other.

There was something peaceful about this little space despite it being almost completely enclosed. Moonlight peaked through the branches over head to give a sense of natural ambience. There was enough that she was able to read his card with no problem and they could see each other and the food, but it wasn't bright by any means. The sound of the waves crashing was still audible through the trees, and the sound could put Mikaela to sleep if she laid still long enough.

That's precisely what they did once all the food was gone: lay back on the blanket with her head on his stomach. After so long, there wasn't a need to fill every moment together with conversation. Mikaela spoke up every once in a while to give him her thoughts on the night, but not in one long drawn out monologue. She was reflecting on it while he played with her hair and spoke aloud only when she wanted to elaborate on the memories he'd shared with her.

Sam laughed when she told him about Valerie's wise advice even though it was several months too late.

The night was completely out of place in comparison with his recent pattern of big, extravagant gifts for important dates, but Mikaela knew she'd give her car back in a heartbeat for another night like this.

It was perfect and straight from the heart and his written words alone spoke of the thought and effort he put into it. The car had been an easy gift, he knew how much she'd wanted it, but this…this was borne from his mind. She'd never spoken of wanting a night like this, with his memories recorded on plain white cards; it was simply something he wanted her to have because she meant _that much_ to him.

"For the record, our first date was perfect," Sam had almost drifted off when she spoke up softly after a long period of silence. "Even if you were covered in dirt and a little bit of food, you still tried to impress me and you were so real, so completely you. You were the boy I was crazy about and that's all I could've asked for."

* * *

**It wasn't until after I wrote it that I remembered the scene in Revenge of The Fallen where Sam's mom was going on about Mikaela popping his cherry while she was all jacked up on the weed brownies. Obviously I couldn't have them meeting up at his house when his parents were obviously home, so I kept it the way it was. Hopefully nobody has an issue with it, but it's not a big enough discrepancy to really matter in the grand scheme of things. **

**And as always...don't forget to review :)  
**


	35. Chapter 35

**Okay, yeah, I'm unbelievably late this time. All I can really say is that I'm super, super thankful for all of you who have stuck with me as these updates seem to get slower and slower. I can promise you that this story WILL be finished and I'm trying to get better about getting them out faster like they were in the beginning. I think I'm stressing myself out too bad with trying to make it perfect and bring the emotion out that I've just forgotten how to have fun with it and this chapter definitely reflects that**

**Major thanks to Brittany, as always, for reminding me that I'm being lazy and I need to get my butt in gear. Not to mention all the great ideas we've discussed over the last week. Can't wait to bring 'em to life...or screen, as the case may be. Seriously owe you a lot...couldn't have made it this far without you!**

**As for the rest of you, y'all are seriously my inspiration. People tell me I'm good with words, but I can't even begin to express how much you all mean to me. There's no greater feeling than getting a review alert...even if it is to ask me when I'm finally going to update again. For every single one of you who have enjoyed my imagination enough to take thirty seconds out of your day to leave a review, thank you from the bottom of my heart.**

**I also mentioned in the last update (surprisingly I actually remember this considering how long it's been!) that there was a error in the plot. Some of the chapters that either include or mention Sam's family also include Ron's father-who according to the movies went crazy and died. So, thank God for fiction where I have the creative license to bring an old fella back from the dead and return his sanity to him.**

**Who all is excited for the new one to come out? I know I am!**

**Standard crap here: I own nothing but my own creativity, and as always...**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

* * *

It was safe to say that by the middle of October, three of the four people living in the house were almost ready to hogtie and duct-tape the fourth person. The boys weren't so bad, they'd taken to avoidance, but Christian wasn't so lucky. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't escape it.

Not a wedding Nazi, her ass! At this point, Mikaela was well and truly beyond wedding Nazi status. Christian loved her best friend, she really did, but there was a point where she couldn't take talking about centerpieces and so many rose petals and color schemes and every other godforsaken aspect of a wedding.

Marriage was the last thing on her mind, and she was being forced to discuss it constantly!

"So what do you think?" Mikaela looked at her expectantly.

"Uhh…I think that sounds great," She tried to sound like she hadn't been completely zoned out. Again. This wasn't the first time Mikaela had caught her off guard.

"Why do you agree to help and then not listen to a word I say?"

"Mik, this is _all_ we've talked about for three months," She sighed. "I don't wanna be mean but there's only so long I can listen to you talk about the exact same thing."

"I just want it to be perfect!" Christian swore she saw red at the over-used excuse.

"It will be perfect. How many times do we all have to tell you that?" She sighed and leaned back against her bed. "You're marrying your high school sweetheart, the guy who loves you enough to risk his life for you! There's no way it could not be perfect."

"Yes there is," Mikaela took a deep breath like she was about to list all the possible things that could go wrong.

"Mikaela, just stop," Christian told her seriously. "You're obsessed and you're stressing yourself out way too bad for no reason."

"I'm not obsessed."

"No, you are. You're so caught up in making every little detail perfect you can't even see what it's doing to Sam," That definitely caught the other girl's attention. "He's convinced he's gonna let you down."

"What?" Her eyes widened. "How?"

"You're planning this grand, magnificent wedding ceremony where every little detail is planned out perfectly even down to positioning rose petals a certain way, and he doesn't know how to meet those expectations," Christian gave her friend a soft smile. "He said it makes him feel like a peasant at a party for the Queen and he's terrified your perfect wedding is going to be ruined because you're marrying him."

"He told you that?"

"Yeah, he's pretty freaked out and he just wanted someone to talk to."

"What'd you tell him?"

"That even if you were all caught up in planning and details and stupid crap, you were still crazy in love with him," She shrugged her shoulders before continuing. "But the sad thing is I can kinda see where he's coming from."

Mikaela leaned back against the headboard of Christian's bed as she took in the words. Did he really feel that way? Had she become as obsessed as her friends were telling her? Sam mentioned the other day she was going to overdo it when it came to planning, but she'd thought nothing of it—he was a guy, how much planning did they do really anyway?

Another question popped into her mind and there was a pang in her heart so sharp it took her breath away for a second when she realized she didn't know the answer.

Without a word to her best friend, she slipped from the room to go down to their room where she knew Sam was still in bed. On days like this when Leo was working, he usually spent his time in the basement watching TV—too much estrogen on the main level, he always said.

Neither spoke when she climbed onto the bed and lay on top of him with her head right over his heart. It was plain for him to see that she was upset over something and he rubbed her back as he patiently waited for her to talk to him.

"Do you regret asking me to marry you?"

That was the last thing he ever expected for her to say.

"Of course I don't!" He exclaimed. "What in the world ever gave you that idea?"

"Christian told me what you said to her," She finally looked him in the eyes and he saw a scared little girl in place of the confident woman normally staring back at him.

"Baby, I just want this wedding to be perfect for you as much as you do," Sam insisted. "But I feel like I'm so out of place with all this that I'm gonna ruin it."

"You know what's going to make this a perfect wedding?" She propped herself up on his chest so she could look down at him.

"What's that?"

"I'm walking down the aisle to you," Mikaela pressed her lips to his in a soft, chaste kiss. "No decoration in the world could top that."

"Good to hear," He quipped. "For a while there, I thought my fiancée was gonna leave me for the tablecloths."

"Very funny," She said dryly before turning serious. "I'll scale down on all the planning—bring it all back a little."

"You don't have to do that."

"Baby, I'd marry you in a dirty barn if I had to," Her words were no more than a whisper. "My perfect wedding is you and me saying 'I do'. I just got carried away."

Sam touched his fingertips to her cheek and studied her face for a moment, but couldn't find any sign that she was being anything but honest. The words he'd told Christian were exactly how he felt, but that didn't mean he wanted Mikaela to not have the wedding of her dreams.

"There's a party at the bachelor pad," That's the way everyone referred to Colton and Tyler's townhouse apartment. "What do you say we go have a good time with all of our friends and not think about anything wedding-related for the night?"

"You've got yourself a date mister," Mikaela flirted.

* * *

Sam hadn't been able to take his eyes off Mikaela from the moment she came upstairs.

In true date fashion, she'd kicked him out of their room and told him to get ready upstairs with Leo and she and Christian took over the bathroom.

Of course, technically that meant the two men spent 20 minutes showering, dressing, and fixing their hair and the rest of the two hours watching ESPN and playing Xbox while waiting not-so-patiently for their ladies to finish so they could leave.

When he saw her in that little black dress, he was half-tempted to carry her back downstairs and skip the party to spend the night in bed but Christian had cleared her throat upon seeing the look in his eyes and they'd all had a laugh at his expense.

Now, as he watched her dancing with her three best friends on the couch, he felt all the built up tension fade away. He hadn't seen her looking this relaxed and carefree in a long time. The wedding had consumed her wholeheartedly over the last several months and he knew a lot of it had to do with keeping her mind off being held hostage by those freaks but it made his heart soar to see her let it all go even if just for one night.

Each day was still a battle for them. So much had happened over the last year and a half or so, and both of them still had the occasional nightmare that woke them up covered in sweat and tears.

"Who's the babe in that sexy little black dress?" Some new guy named Chad was staring at Mikaela hungrily. "Bet she'd love to have some of the Chad tonight. With moves like that, she's gotta be a hell of a ride."

Sam wanted to knock the smirk off this guy's face. He was in one of Tyler's classes and had recently started hanging out with them, but had never met Sam or Mikaela because they hadn't been out in a while. The way she was sandwiched between Christian and Rachel hid the ring on her finger, but the guy was so cocky it probably wouldn't have mattered if he had seen it.

Leo grabbed him by the shoulder to keep him from saying or doing anything to start a fight, and the slight hesitation gave him a better idea. Normally he was laidback and didn't like to deal with confrontation, the wars had been more than enough violence for a lifetime, but when it came to his fiancée there were no holds barred.

He moved across the room wordlessly to where the girls were still wrapped up in their own little world and reached a hand out to take hers. Mikaela turned to him and a bright smile lit up her face while he helped her down. Something about the possessive look in his eyes kept her from asking what he was doing as he led her back over to where Chad still stood with the guys.

Chad, under the impression Sam was helping him out by introducing him, instantly put on his most charming smile and held out his hand for her to shake. She went along with it and barely kept from laughing when he lifted her hand to kiss the top of it.

Mikaela didn't get the chance to say anything before Christian was sidling up next to her and slipping an arm around her small waist.

"Baby, why'd you leave?" Her eyes were bright with amusement. "You know how bad I miss you when you're not there."

She'd been the one closest to the boys and had heard Chad's comment so she knew what Sam was doing and had decided at the last minute to play along.

Chad looked like he'd just won the lottery and Christian had to bite her lip to keep from ruining the whole thing. Quick thinking had her face forming into a pout towards her best friend and the new boy was absolutely eating up every second of it.

"Sam was just introducing me to Chad," Oh, what the hell? She may as well go with whatever her best friend and fiancée were doing. "But you know I can never stay away from you for long."

"Pleasure to meet you," Chad gave her the same charming smile.

If she opened her mouth the laughter would start, so Christian just flashed him a seductive smile.

"Chad here just mentioned he bets you'd love to have some of him tonight," Sam's eyes glinted evilly. "Seems to think you'd be a hell of a ride."

He at least had the decency to look away for a moment as his lewd comments were repeated, but when their eyes met again there was no trace of anything but sheer confidence.

"Oh, honey, I am a hell of a ride," She smiled sweetly.

"Best ride of my life," Christian interjected dreamily and his eyes blazed with desire.

"Back off my woman!" Sam playfully yanked Mikaela away from her best friend and she doubled over in laughter at his words.

"No need to get jealous," She gave him the meanest glare she could pull off but the smile threatening to break through ruined the effect. "I only kissed her once!"

"Chad, this little home wrecker here is Christian," She stuck out her tongue at Sam. "I already introduced you to this one but I must've forgotten to add the part where she just so happens to be my fiancée."

"Hey! She's my lover!" Christian cried indignantly.

Leo was laughing his ass off without even trying to hide it, Colton and Andy took swigs of their beers to hide their smiles, Tyler looked like he couldn't decide whether to laugh or be pissed off at the way Sam had handled his friend's comments, and Chad looked mortified.

To diffuse the situation, Tyler and Mikaela looked at each other and silently agreed to separate the boys. Tyler dragged Chad outside so he could smoke a cigarette and Mikaela pulled Sam to the bathroom.

"You're an ass sometimes Sam Witwicky," The smile on her face belied the angry words that came out of her mouth.

"He needed to learn real quick to watch what he says about you when I can hear him."

"I love when you get all possessive."

"Mine," He pushed her up against the door and attacked her neck with his lips.

"All yours," She whispered breathlessly.

"Do you have any idea what it does to me when you wear this dress?" Sam groaned against her ear.

"Why do you think I wore it?" Her eyebrow quirked flirtatiously and his lips smashed against hers passionately and she lost herself in his heated kiss.

One of his hands blindly reached for the doorknob to twist the lock without ever breaking their kiss and she couldn't help but giggle at the way he had instantly turned back into that hormone crazed 16-year-old boy he'd been with the way he was attacking her mouth and blindly reaching for her but then she felt his rough fingers sliding up the inside of her thigh and that shy boy was replaced by the confident man he was now.

"Can you be quiet?" He whispered against her neck sending shivers down her spine.

"Can you be quick?" She turned the tables on him, her hands already expertly pulling at the button on his jeans.

Sam almost lost it at the fire in her eyes and sexy little grin when he pushed her dress up around her waist just to find she wasn't wearing underwear. He lifted her by the back of her legs and set her on the countertop. Mikaela pulled his head down to kiss him just as he slid inside and she moaned at the feeling that never seemed to amaze her.

It wouldn't be long before one of their friends was banging on the door to use the only bathroom in the apartment so they both knew they couldn't take it slow or hold back.

The fact that all of their friends were just on the other side of the door only a handful of feet away from them only served to increase the arousal buzzing through them. This would be the first time they had snuck off to have sex in the middle of a party, even though technically that wasn't her reason for taking him to the bathroom, and knowing that they could be busted any moment made their movements harder and faster.

"Sam," She moaned quietly against his ear and he tightened his hold on her hips.

"I know," He panted and sucked at a part of her neck.

She fought him off, not wanting him to leave a mark, and kissed him again when she knew she couldn't stay quiet much longer. Soft moans audible only to the two of them filled the room as they moved closer and closer to their peaks.

It didn't take long for them to fall over the edge, she first and him moments later, and her body slumped against his to catch her breath.

"Did you really have to mess up my hair?" Mikaela groaned looking into the mirror for the first time and her fingers combed through her hair trying to make it look like they hadn't just had a quickie in someone else's bathroom.

"I love you," Sam just smiled innocently. "You still look amazing."

"Jackass," She muttered rolling her eyes.

Mikaela left the bathroom first, as Sam still had to clean himself up, and it had already become obvious enough what they'd been doing—just because of how long they'd been inside the locked bathroom—and she didn't want to give them more ammunition against them.

Christian was sitting on the couch in between Colton and Leo when she snuck back in the living room hoping nobody would say anything and she sat down on the other girl's lap.

"Did you two seriously have to have a quickie in my bathroom?" Tyler groaned overdramatically. "I brush my teeth in there!"

Of course she couldn't be lucky enough to get away without some remark being made.

"It's not my fault he can't keep his hands off me," She shrugged a shoulder nonchalantly.

"How is it that we could hear you on the first floor of a three-story house when you're on the top floor, but in a tiny apartment where we're 20 feet away we don't hear a sound?" Balie was _never_ going to let her live that night down and she chunked a rubber coaster at her.

Sam came out of the bathroom in time to see the coaster completely miss its target and the room laughed at Mikaela's bad aim and slight embarrassment. She had no problem talking about their sex life, but it bothered her to no end when people commented on hearing them.

"I hate you," She growled at him when she noticed his presence. "This is all your fault!"

The petulant comment only served to send the group of friends into an uproar and Sam bit the inside of his cheek to keep from joining in. He knew she wasn't really mad, but he didn't want to push it.

"Well that sucks because I love you," He walked over to where she was and bent down to kiss her but she pulled away after a couple seconds.

"Nope, that's all you get," She smiled teasingly. "Go away."

When it looked like he was going to protest her dismissal, she pushed against his chest only to giggle when he stumbled backwards. Sam glared at her mockingly but left anyway to go get himself another beer from the fridge in the kitchen.

Colton started shamelessly flirting with Mikaela almost the second he'd turned his back, but he wasn't worried—seriously, it was _Colton_. And he was drunk. This always happened when he got drunk. After a while he would move onto Christian and then to Balie until finally he stopped on Rachel who never failed to tease him until he got all kinds of hot and bothered and then she would leave him high and dry.

Happened the same way every time.

Well, minus the one time he took too many shots of tequila and tried to flirt with Leo—who couldn't decide whether to go into shock or have a heart attack—but it had taken all of about two seconds to realize he was being serious rather than goofing off and Tyler was dragging his buddy off to the bedroom to put him to bed.

After that particular night, Colton took a hiatus from drinking for a while. He was still so mortified that he still refused to even look at a bottle of tequila much less think about drinking it.

"Hey, look, man I just wanted to apologize about earlier," Chad approached him while he was standing alone. "I had no idea she was with you or I wouldn't have said anything."

"Nothin' to worry about," He shrugged dismissively. "I probably should've handled it better."

They made small talk for a couple minutes but frankly Sam felt awkward about the whole situation. He'd seen the look in the other guy's eyes earlier, Chad had wanted to beat the hell out of him for making a fool of him, and now he was acting all buddy-buddy. Maybe he just wanted to fit into their group—he had just moved from Oregon to go to school in Philadelphia and probably didn't have a lot of friends—and Sam didn't have a problem with him, but it was just weird.

"Rachel!" Sam interrupted the girl's flirty banter with Colton (had he really made his way through all four girls that fast?) knowing it wouldn't lead to anything.

She eyed him warily but made her way over to where he and Chad stood in the doorway of the kitchen anyway.

"Chad thinks you're hot," He said bluntly. "You kids have fun."

Two sets of eyes gaped at his retreating back, but really it was a win-win situation. Rachel would no doubt get laid and he had an excuse to quit talking to Chad without seeming rude.

It wasn't long before people started leaving. Some of them would stay until the sun started coming up before they'd decided it was time to go to sleep, but it was getting close to three as it was. For as tiny as the apartment was, there always seemed to be a crap load of people at the boys' parties and Sam would swear he met someone new every time they came, even if that person had been there before. There was always a beer pong tournament going on outside on the patio and that was where the majority of the people were. Colton and Tyler alternated between hanging out with the ones outside and the ones who weren't into the fierce drinking game—which was mostly their close circle of friends.

Andy and Balie were the first of their group to leave. He had to work the next afternoon and she was trying to get him home before he was too drunk and ended up with a hangover. Christian and Mikaela had both stood up from the couch to give the other girl a hug when she said she was leaving and Sam saw the perfect opportunity to tease them. He waited until Balie left before walking up behind them and threw an arm around each of their shoulders.

"What's a guy gotta do to get you two to kiss again?" He received a slap from both sides for his cheeky remark.

"I think you got enough action tonight," Christian said dryly.

"A man can never get enough action," He denied.

"Suppose it's a good thing you're not a man then," Mikaela matched his cheeky grin with one of her own.

"Maybe I should go find Chad then," His eyes twinkled playfully. "Seemed to think he was man enough for a sexy little thing like you."

Sam even pretended like he was going to search for the boy in question, but she grabbed the back of his shirt to stop him.

"Get back here you big baby," She rolled her eyes sarcastically.

"Someone's feisty tonight," He teased giving her a pointed look.

"Nope," Mikaela shook her head and slid her arms around his neck so they should chest to chest where she could look up at him. "Just happy."

Christian sensed a private moment coming on and slipped away so as not to intrude but the couple didn't notice her quiet exit.

"Glad we came?" He inquired softly.

"Yeah, it's been a great night," She gave him a flirty little half smile. "Especially the part where my fiancée got all possessive and took advantage of me in the bathroom."

"Definitely the highlight of my night," Sam dipped his head to kiss her tenderly and felt her yawn against his lips when she pulled away.

He took that as their cue to leave and they started their own round of goodbyes with the friends that hadn't already gone home. Leo had taken Christian to dinner before the party and weren't quite ready to leave yet so Sam just told them he'd see them the next day and walked an already half-asleep Mikaela to the bright yellow Camaro parked at the end of the driveway.

When they finally crawled into their bed a little while later, she fell asleep as soon as she curled into his side and laid her head on his chest but he found himself unable to drift off so easily. All things aside, the real highlight of his night had been to watch her truly enjoy herself for the first time in a long while. It seemed she'd taken his plea to heart and completely pushed the wedding out of her mind for the evening. Whether she realized it or not, the big event had cause quite a bit of tension among all of them and it was a relief to escape it even if just for several hours.

He knew she'd be back to thinking about it constantly tomorrow, but they'd finally managed to reach a sort of compromise. It wasn't until he lay there with her sleeping form in his arms that he felt at peace with everything. There was a good chance she'd allow herself to become obsessed with all the planning and trying to make it perfect but the thought didn't fill him with fear of letting her down like it had been lately. At the end of the day, it didn't matter where it was, when it was, how extravagant or how simple—the important part was that he'd be waiting for her to walk down the aisle to him and they'd both say "I do".

There was no way he could let her down when those two simple words would make both their dreams come true.


	36. Chapter 36

**Ha, less than a month this time! The format of this one is slightly different than anything I've done in the past, so you guys gotta tell me whatcha think about it! I've gotten a ton of alerts and favorites since dark of the moon came out last week and that has seriously been the greatest inspiration I've had in a while (besides my favorite idea-bouncer-offer Brittany ;)). Thanks to all of you who have come aboard and I hope you're not disappointed. To all the rest of you who have stuck around SO long...couldn't have asked for a better bunch of readers. This story has gotten me through a lot and the fact that people out there actually enjoy it is without a doubt the most amazing feeling in the world. **

**Just in case it's not obvious, I own nothing from Transformers...just the plot and the characters you didn't see in the movies. **

**Please review 'cause they're like crack and I am nothing more than a shameless addict who will beg for more :))  
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Finally, after all the planning and the stress and the headaches, it was now the moment Mikaela had been waiting for: wedding dress shopping. She would have loved to bought it months ago but it had taken this long to get Sam agree to let her leave the city without him.

There was no way he was tagging along on this little mini-vacation.

So, instead, she had four Autobots following their every move as she, Christian, and Judy spent the weekend in New York City to find the perfect dress.

Judy had almost cried when Mikaela had called to ask her if she would be a part of the special event, but there was no way she could _not_ have the older woman by her side. Since she and Sam began dating, his mom had been one of her biggest supporters and inspired her in so many ways to become the woman she was today.

Christian was there, of course, because of her role as Maid of Honor. Despite meeting each other for the first time barely a year ago, the girl had become her other half in a platonic kind of way. Someone who had never met the two before would think they'd grown up together because of how close they were.

"This is totally why you're my best friend," Christian came back in from the balcony. "Have you _seen_ that view?"

"Sometimes I really don't know why I like you," Mikaela shot back. "You and Balie are almost the same size. I wonder how she'd feel about being my Maid of Honor…"

"Oh whatever, I know better. Where's Mama Wicky?" Christian had met Sam's mom twice before, once over the summer when she and Leo had come out to LA and when Judy and Ron had come to see them in Philadelphia after the semester started, and had instantly given the older woman the nickname.

"Said she was almost ready and would be here in a minute," Mikaela was almost bouncing in her place. "Can you believe we're in New York City shopping for my wedding dress?"

"You still haven't figured that out yet?" She got a sarcastic eye roll in response to her excited statement. "We've been here since yesterday evening. I would've thought landing at the airport would've clued you in on that little fact!"

"Could you at least act a little happy for me?"

"Oh, I'm totally happy for you," Christian smiled sweetly. "I just love making fun of you!"

"I officially hate you," She crossed her arms over her chest. "Butthead!"

Judy came into the room moments later to find her future daughter-in-law pouting like a two-year-old while Christian stood a couple feet away giggling uncontrollably. Both of them turned to look at her and she was taken back to a time when Sam was little and Jacob would tease him mercilessly about his curly mop. Mikaela had that same look her son always had and her best friend had that perfect mix of trying to look perfectly innocent while also looking completely guilty.

"Christian, quit making fun of her," Judy shook her head amusedly. They'd been doing this the whole time so far. "Mikaela, she's just picking on you because you make it easy for her."

"Hey! Why are you taking her side?" Mikaela protested indignantly.

"I'm not taking anybody's side," She said. "But you two can sit here and bicker like three-year-olds or we can get out of this hotel room and start looking for your dream dress."

"I'm all for the second option," Christian cut in and sent her best friend a faux nasty look. "God knows it's going to take _forever_ just for you to not find what you're wanting and we'll have to do this all over again tomorrow and the next day…and the one after that…"

"Am I gonna have to put the two of you in time out?" Judy threw her hands up exasperatedly.

"I'm just kidding Mama Wicky," Christian looped her arm around Mikaela's waist. "I couldn't be happier for this girl."

That effectively ended the girls' pseudo argument and the trio left to begin their search.

"Bro, seriously, chill out," Leo had watched his best friend nervously look from the TV to the clock to his cell phone repeatedly since they started playing Xbox. "They haven't even been gone for 24 hours yet."

"I can't help it," Sam said sheepishly. "It's just the first time we've really been apart since all that."

"She's got the boys with her," He reminded him pointlessly. "Plus the base is like less than half an hour away by helicopter."

"I know, I know."

He knew he was stressing about it way more than he needed to be. They had so much security surrounding the three girls that it would be almost impossible for anything to happen, but there was no way he couldn't not be slightly afraid. If something were to happen, he would lose it.

Letting her go off to New York City without him had started a major argument between them. He absolutely refused to let there be that much distance between them and, although she understood why he felt the way he did, Mikaela was completely adamant about him not going with them. There was no way in hell she was risking him seeing her wedding dress before the moment she started walking down the aisle. Nothing about them had ever been very traditional, and she was determined to keep at least that one tradition about their wedding.

Will was actually the one who finally got Sam to back down. Like Leo said, the base was a short helicopter ride away, and he had promised to check up on her at least once. He didn't like that the girls were off by themselves, but he remembered how important the wedding dress shopping was to Sarah and how she threatened him within an inch of his life if he so much as tried to glimpse at the closet she was keeping it in. Not to mention that the closet was at her _mom's_ house anyway; no, he'd been perfectly content to wait to see it.

"Have you got the honeymoon all planned out yet?" Leo asked curiously.

The honeymoon was Sam's one big contribution to the wedding—besides showing up, of course. After the conversation they'd had about him feeling like he was going to be the one thing that screwed up her perfect wedding, he'd asked her if she'd let him plan that part. Frankly, he could care less about the ceremony itself—all the planning in the world couldn't change the way she said "I do". She was beyond willing to let him do it, not just because it was one less thing she had to worry about, but because she still felt bad about making such a big deal about the wedding.

"Not even close," He groaned. "I've thought about Hawaii, but she's been to the beach in Cali a million times. Florida is out because we were there for spring break. Maybe a cabin, but I don't know that it's romantic enough. I don't want her to be disappointed."

"She won't be," Leo assured his buddy. "Besides, it's your honeymoon—how much are you _really_ going to be out of the bedroom anyway?"

"She's always wanted to go to London, but it's the middle of December y'know? I don't think the weather will be good enough."

"I forget how much money you have," He rolled his eyes. "If you're gonna leave the country, what about somewhere south—Australia or Mexico?"

Sam's eyes lit up and the expression was a perfect description of a light bulb going off over his head.

"Oh my God Leo you're a genius!"

"You two wanna go eat?" Mikaela asked as they left yet another store. "I'm getting hungry."

Despite not finding anything she liked in any of the stores they went to that morning, she was still in good spirits. They had the whole weekend to find something; getting all stressed out in the first couple hours would ruin the entire trip.

"I'm down for food," Christian said looking at her phone. "Just call your boy. Leo says he's freaking out."

"If I didn't love him…" She muttered sarcastically but it was tinged with affection. "He's worse than a girl."

Her best friend and future mother-in-law knew better than to think she was upset about having to check in with Sam. If they were in New York for any other reason, the phone would be glued to her ear because they just didn't do separation. Sure, they had their time apart for a girls' night or male bonding time, but never for this length of time. At most they were apart all day long, but they still went to sleep in the same bed every night.

Judy could only picture how her son was coping. Now that he was on the other side of the country and she didn't see him every day, it was so much more obvious to see how much he'd grown. Up until he bought that first rundown Camaro, she was honestly worried about him. He had Miles, who had been his best friend since elementary school, but that was it. He was shy and insecure and antisocial; she didn't know if he'd ever be able to put himself out there enough to fall in love. Then came along this teenage girl named Mikaela and overnight there seemed to be a change in him. She couldn't lie—there had been moments early on when she and Ron had discussed amongst themselves the surprising relationship. It was obvious this girl was out of their boy's league. Even as his parents and thinking he was the most amazing son ever, they'd waited for the day Sam lost his first girlfriend.

Except it never happened. Instead of drifting apart, they grew closer and closer every day until it got to where everybody saw them as that 'it' couple. Most people didn't know, and never would, how their relationship started and it was definitely a shock to see it form but they just completed each other.

None of it made sense, but there wasn't a soul who would change the path the two youngsters had taken. Those infernal Autobots may have stolen the so-called 'normal' life away from the junior Witwicky, but he would've never found his forever without them.

Mikaela too had grown so much and still continued to do so. She hadn't made the best impression the first couple of times Judy had seen her. How could she have when the first time the two women saw each other was when Mikaela was hiding behind a chair in her son's room and the door had been locked. Of course, now they understood the circumstances surrounding that but they hadn't for a while.

She was rough around the edges, a little aloof and couldn't care less what anybody thought of her, and dressed a tad on the slutty side. It was everything she expected Sam _not_ to find attractive. Admiration from a distance was one thing, but to actually fall into a relationship with the girl had shocked his mother.

After a while, though, the two leading ladies in Sam's life warmed up to each other and Judy was quick to become the mother figure Mikaela never had. If she needed to talk about anything, from something superficial like clothes and shoes to serious matters like her dad, she always went to Judy. Her attire hadn't changed and she still didn't care what anyone thought about her but she carried herself so much differently that it looked like she'd gone through a complete makeover.

"Where's your head at Mama Wicky?" Christian's chipper voice cut through her thoughts. "You look like you're a gazillion miles away."

"Thinking about them," Judy didn't have to clarify who 'them' was. "I remember thinking they wouldn't last a month when Sam was spending the whole day in the bathroom getting ready for their first date."

"Really?" Mikaela's best friend asked curiously. "They look like they're made for each other."

"They do now," She agreed. "You know I wasn't really crazy about her in the beginning?"

"But y'all are like super close!"

"I didn't give her a chance. I just judged her by the way she talked and how she looked. I couldn't understand how Sam was so smitten with her. I thought it was all physical and that scared me because he was my baby boy. I wasn't ready for him to venture into that part of life; he was only 16," Judy smiled wistfully. "It wasn't until Sam brought her to dinner the first time that I looked past all that and saw her. He knew I didn't really like her and he made me promise to be nice and to try to get to know her and not just write her off because she looked a certain type."

"What happened then?" Christian asked enthralled in the story. "What made you change your mind?"

"She just gave him this look," All this time later and she still didn't really know how to describe it. "It was quick, but I saw so much in her eyes. It was like her whole world was right there in him. I knew then it wasn't just some high school thing. They'd only been dating about six months by then, but I knew just from that one look she was the other half of his heart. I don't know that either of them knew how much they needed each other at that point or that they shared looks like that, but it was so obvious to the rest of the world."

"Aww, that's so sweet," She gushed. "It's like one of those epic romances every girl wishes they could have."

"And now they're getting married," Judy finished and gave her future daughter-in-law a warm look. "I don't know that I've ever been more proud of the two of them than I am right now."

Mikaela walked over to them a minute or two later shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

"Your son is such a perv," She said to his mother.

"What'd he do?"

"Wants me to go to a lingerie store and then do Facetime while I'm in the dressing room trying them all on so he can give his opinion," She put air quotes around the last part and Christian and Judy laughed uproariously. "Guys that's not funny!"

"No, it's hilarious," Christian clarified. "And so not surprising considering the way you two go at it all the time and now you're away from each other for an entire weekend. I'm not entirely sure how neither of you have gone into withdrawal yet!"

"Oh, he's definitely feeling it," She smirked. "Hope your boyfriend wasn't in the same room 'cause, wow, Sam was pretty explicit."

"Alright, enough of that," Judy cut into the conversation. "Let's go get food before we've gotta put you on ice."

They stood and left the store they were currently in and started walking down the street in search of something to eat. There was this cute little pizza place a couple blocks down and Judy drug the two girls in without saying a word and they got a few crazy looks at the sudden action and the resulting shrieks from both teenagers. Neither girl argued with the selection because they were perfectly content with trying some legendary New York City pizza.

Sam woke Leo up early the next morning telling him they had an appointment to go look at something, but wouldn't divulge any other details. Leo was not happy about waking up so early on a Sunday morning, but his best friend was bouncing from excitement so he couldn't tell him to fuck off and bury his head in the blankets like he wanted.

It took them a while to get where they were going, but once they did Leo knew immediately what they were doing. A sly grin took over Sam's face when he mentioned it was his gift to Mikaela and had gone to great lengths to make sure she didn't know anything about it until he was ready to show her. It was something he'd been working on for the last couple of months. He'd said something in passing one night when they were drinking but Leo had assumed it was all talk and that he wouldn't actually go through with it.

He should've known it was never just talk when it came to Sam doing something for Mikaela as evidenced by the sight in front of him.

"Dude, this is _huge_," Leo said through wide eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Oh yeah," Sam said instantly. "You think she's gonna like it?"

"Uh, bro, are you even seeing what I'm seeing? I mean, this is amazing. How could she not love it?"

"See, that's why I brought you. You're the girliest man I know," He joked good-naturedly.

"Very funny," Leo punched him hard in the shoulder.

"Mr. Witwicky?" Another voice interrupted them and they turned serious instantly before turning their attention to the third person.

"That's me," He reached out a hand for the middle-aged lady named Jane to shake and Leo did the same.

"It's nice to finally meet you after speaking several times on the phone," Jane smiled warmly. "Will this be for both of you?"

"Oh no," Sam denied quickly. "It's a surprise for my fiancée. I just brought him along to get a second opinion."

"Oh congratulations!" She smiled widely. "When's the big day?"

"December 14."

"Coming up pretty soon then huh?"

"Yeah, I can't wait, that's for sure."

They made small talk for a few moments until she motioned for them to follow her and quickly transformed back into a full professional mode which was a little different from the casual one she had first presented to them.

"I assume from the conversations we've had that this is within your price range?" She asked as she led them inside. "I'm sorry to sound so forward, but I don't get a whole lot of interest from teenage boys."

"No, that's fine I completely understand. It's a little strange for me too," Sam reassured. "Money will not be an issue."

"To a point," Leo corrected and they both glanced at him curiously. "What? You brought me here for a second opinion and my opinion is that Mikaela will kill you if you spend too much and then this will all have been just a waste of our time."

"I know. If it was up to me I'd be spending twice what this one costs just because I never thought I'd have money for something like this but I'm trying not to go too crazy."

Leo rolled his eyes. They were already well beyond crazy and into insanity, but he wasn't going to argue that point. Jane just watched on silently at the interaction between her two clients. It was a bizarre situation to say the least, but she knew it wasn't some big prank. Sam had provided her with enough proof to show that he was serious about this and she was going to take great care to make sure he got what he wanted and was completely satisfied.

"This is just the first one I have to show you. It's right in the middle of your price range," She took them through a doorway and paused to let them look around not missing the pure awe on their faces. "Here is one of the main floor living areas. There are two—the doorway you see to the right leads to a hallway with a half bath and a bedroom at the back of the house. The other doorway on the opposite side of the room goes to one of the most amazing kitchens you'll ever see. If you'll follow me, we'll go through there to the other living area which also connects to the kitchen. Three of the five bedrooms are on the main floor and each features its own en suite bathroom as well as another half bath by the second living area as well."

Half an hour went by before they saw the entire main floor and they still had the second story to see. It was a little bit simpler; there was a long sitting room that overlooked both living areas with the two rounded staircases leading from the foyer in the middle. The master bedroom was easily twice the size of the basement bedroom Sam and Mikaela shared now and it had handcrafted French doors that separated it from the sitting area. In all honesty, the en suite bathroom probably equaled the size of Leo's bedroom. The fifth and final bedroom looked tiny in comparison but it was still a huge bedroom.

Jane wisely saved the basement for last knowing it would be a huge selling point for the teenage boys. It was a completely furnished game room, something the owner had done because this was a family neighborhood and investing the money meant he could get quadruple that back.

"Dude, I thought the basement in Florida was badass," Leo could hardly find the words he was so blown away by the gigantic man cave. "This is…wow."

"I know," Sam agreed simply.

"Are you two ready to go see the other houses I wanted to show you?" Jane asked after giving them plenty of time to explore the game room and guided them back to the main level. "The next one isn't that far from here."

"I'll take this one."

"What? Sam are you sure?" Leo thought the house was amazing, but seeing others was a good idea. He was bound to fall in love with all of them because they were so grand compared to their house now, and this was not something he wanted to do without thinking it through and exploring all his options.

"He's right Sam," Jane said gently. "You don't want to jump into the first one you see."

"You've sent me pictures of probably 50 houses by now. As a matter of fact, this was one you picked out. I had several other ones I was more interested in, but you insisted we start with this one."

"Let's go look at the three you liked the most and then we can sit down and talk about all of them."

"I don't need to," He said firmly. "There's something about this house…it just feels like home. Walking through all the bedrooms and the living rooms and even the kitchen, I can just picture a family here. I can see me and Mikaela and a bunch of little kids running around like banshees on crack. I know this is a huge step and I don't want to rush it, but everything in me says this is the right one. You can take me to see another 30 houses and nothing's going to change my mind."

The realtor stared at him intently for a long time. They were trained to have clients view several different houses because a happy client was a returning client, but something in the way he spoke and the look in his eyes as he subconsciously gazed around the main level while he spoke told her this was one time it was absolutely acceptable to go against procedure. His friend even seemed to understand what he was saying and was nodding in agreement.

"Well, alright then. Let's head back to my office and we'll put in an offer with the seller."

Sam was on cloud nine. In the car, he was chattering nonstop about the house and different images he could see in his mind. Leo paid attention as best he could, but the soon-to-be newlywed was jumping from subject to subject without ever stopping to breathe. He was a perfect picture of the banshees on crack he'd just described his future kids as being in his spiel about not needing to see another house.

They didn't stay around to wait to hear from the seller, but instead gave Jane instructions to call Sam when she received an answer. The girls were flying back to Philadelphia that afternoon but, being the typical boys they were, neither of them knew when they were due back. It wouldn't due to be with the realtor if the girls got home and called wondering where they were since it was supposed to be a surprise and both of them sucked at lying on the spot.

Sam knew wholeheartedly that he made the right decision in buying the first, and only, house they looked at but he also knew Mikaela would initially be upset at the price. She would go off on her tangent about him always spending too much money on her, but that would go away when she walked into the house for the first time. It was perfect for them despite its size. He hadn't actually planned on spending that much money for that very reason even though he'd looked at pictures of bigger, more expensive prices. He just wanted to give her the house of her dreams without being castrated in the process.

There was no price on happiness though. He could imagine them living in the house until they were old and had grandkids of their own. That was why he'd jumped at that house: the moment he'd entered the foyer, their future had flashed before his very eyes. When it came to their future as a family, he would spare nothing to get it for them. All the money in the world was insignificant when he already had something better than gold.

No matter how many psychotic robots came after them, that girl still loved him with all her heart and she said _yes_ when the smart thing would have been to say no and run the other way but she stood there and refused to let go of his heart.

Yeah, all the money in the world couldn't make him richer than that.


	37. Chapter 37

**First off, I wanna apologize for the crappy formatting in the last chapter (which I still need to fix as a matter of fact!)...I forgot to go back through it when I uploaded it on the site to add in the line breaks since they don't transfer from my word doc and I know it made it a little confusing the way it seemed to jump back and forth with no break. I was so excited to get it up and it was so late that I just completely blanked on that part. **

**Anyway, I'd hoped to have this one up a little sooner but I got stuck in the middle of it and pushed it to the side for a couple weeks because I was so frustrated with it but last night the ending popped into my head and I finally was able to get it all written tonight. You guys will hate it, but let me just say that I'm excited and I will love every bit of the frustration and impatience I know you guys will have :)...that just makes you want to skip the rest of this and start reading, doesn't it? Good thing I'm out of things to ramble on about!**

**In case you haven't figured it out yet, I don't own Transformers. Some rich old guy does, and let me assure you I'm not rich and I'm not a guy. **

**Please review because I am _dying_ to hear what you guys think!  
**

* * *

After months of preparation and several redeye cross country trips for the weekend, tomorrow they would be flying back to LA for the final time before the wedding.

When they came back to Philadelphia, it would be as a married couple. No more of the boyfriend and girlfriend or fiancées; this time it would be as husband and wife. Set in stone—or, at least, forever recorded on paper.

Mikaela _Witwicky_.

It sounded so weird saying it in her head and yet she couldn't wait for it. The wedding of her dreams was only three days away and she was still in awe that it was even happening.

God, who would've thought the bumbling geek who fought alongside gigantic robots but was too scared to tell his girlfriend he loved her would grow into the amazing man she was meeting at the end of that aisle?

She remembered the night they finally talked about how consumed she'd become the wedding and his somewhat sarcastic comment about her leaving him for the tablecloths (which were custom made by the way!), but truthfully all the planning in the world to make it exactly like she pictured in her mind couldn't come close to how utterly perfect her dress was.

_It was their final day in the city. They'd planned to spend it sight-seeing because, really, who could possibly come to New York City and NOT do some exploring? _

_Finding the small, exclusive store had been a pure stroke of luck. Mikaela was a little bummed that she hadn't been able to find a single dress she liked out of all the stores they'd visited and Christian wanted to cheer her up. Maybe the wedding was a little closer than they would have liked to still not have the most important part, but they still had time to find it. _

_A woman in her thirties had overheard their conversation and, upon seeing the downtrodden look on the wife-to-be's face, suggested the place. She warned that it was pricy and that there was a smaller selection than every other place they'd looked, but that it was worth looking in if they were willing to spend the money. There was a sad look in her eye when she recalled having to settle for her dress because she simply ran out of time to find the perfect one, but had visited the store months later with a friend and had found the dress she'd pictured wearing since she was a little girl._

_Christian and Judy had immediately forgone the morning of traipsing around the city to try one last store. Refusing the woman who meant so much to both of them the opportunity was something they weren't willing to do. _

_The cab ride to the store was an hour long from where they were, but none of the women complained about being crammed into the backseat or that the cab driver smelled like rotten sauerkraut and dirty socks. It had been a miracle to learn of the place and they all prayed for a magical ending._

_Pricy and exclusive were definitely accurate descriptions of the store, but the lady had forgotten to mention that the saleswomen were also snooty and judgmental. Every woman in the place gave them dirty looks when they walked in, thinking they didn't deserve to step foot in such a high-end place, but they were all fake smiles and kind words when Mikaela mentioned price wasn't an issue._

_After browsing through all those brand name stores with their huge collections to see dress after dress that was nowhere close to what she wanted, it only took one try to find the dress she'd been picturing from the moment Sam got down on one knee._

_It was a Maggie Sottero dress that had a satin crisscross pattern across the bodice with embellished handmade flowers on the left side of the waist that accentuated her torso perfectly. The bottom flowed out in a tiered flute drape overlay of taffeta._

_Mikaela knew the moment the saleslady brought it out that it was perfect and she'd had tears in her eyes when she tried it on and walked out of the dressing room to show her best friend and future mother-in-law._

_This dress would transform the wedding into an absolute fairytale._

Thinking about that moment was beyond anything words could express. She was probably more excited to go to LA so she could see the dress in person again, since they'd had it shipped to Ron and Judy's house, than she was about anything else.

"Hey pretty girl," Sam leaned over the edge of the bed to kiss her forehead. "What's on your mind that's got you smiling like that?"

"The dress," She answered honestly and laughed. "I know it's dumb but don't make fun of me. I can't help it though, it's exactly what I imagined and I can't believe we found it like we did."

"I'm just happy you found it. I know how important it was to you," His sincere words were replaced by a playful frown. "Although I'm a little sad about the lack of half naked Facetime in a dressing room."

"You're such a perv Sam Witwicky," Mikaela hit him with a pillow. "I already told you I bought some new stuff and you can see it during the honeymoon."

"You know how much I love surprises that involve you in sexy lingerie," He crawled down on top of her and kissed her sensually. "I have a surprise for you too. I was going to wait until we got back, but I can't wait any longer."

"Is this one of those surprises that involve you spending a crap load of money?" She eyed him pointedly. "Because if it is, I'm going to kill you."

"Well yeah," Sam admitted and rushed to continue when her eyes darkened in anger. "I want you to promise me you won't get mad until after I show you and explain why I did it, but I think you're going to love it."

"Damn it Sam," The pleading look on his face was so desperate she found her anger slowly dissipating and she groaned out the next word. "Fine. I promise."

He took in her t-shirt and sweats before pulling her out of the room towards the garage on the main floor. She had to stop him in his haste so they could put shoes on and grab their coats from the entryway. His anxiety caused her curiosity to peak. There was a strange mixture of excitement and fear radiating off of him and he was abnormally aloof.

The scarf in his hand caught her eye when they got in the car, but she didn't ask and he didn't seem quite ready to reveal the reason for bringing it.

"You know where to go Bee," Sam spoke cryptically to the car and the engine roared to life.

Traffic was almost nonexistent as they made their way through an area of the city she'd never been. The weather had been bad over the last week, just finally beginning to clear up from a bad snowstorm, but they'd never worried about it since Bee was better than any four wheel drive vehicle built specifically to handle winters in the Northeast.

Mikaela stared at his twiddling thumbs and his knee bouncing up and down and wondered what he had up his sleeve. Even though he knew how much she hated when he threw down a ton of money to buy her something insanely expensive, he usually didn't display so much nervousness. It had her dreading what was coming because if he was that nervous already, the price had to be way beyond anything he'd ever done in the past.

The Camaro turned into the parking lot of one of the many Wal-Marts in the city and she turned to look at her fiancée wondering why he was acting so weird about them going to the store. Besides, it was _Wal-Mart_—even the most expensive thing in the store was less than half the price of her ring. Not that that wasn't a lot of money, but it wasn't anywhere close to explaining the way he was acting.

"Put this on," He twisted his body towards hers and held up the scarf.

A million questions ran through her mind but she stayed silent as he helped her wrap the accessory around her eyes and made sure she couldn't see anything. The car started moving again and the air was thick with tension as they drove for another fifteen minutes. All she could figure out was that they were not on the highway because of the several turns and slowing down she felt from the car.

They finally stopped when she felt herself about to start begging him to tell her what was going on. Mikaela simply couldn't take it anymore. Sam had obviously gone above and beyond overboard if he was making her promise to let him explain before she got mad and blindfolded her to ensure she knew nothing before he was ready.

Couldn't he have waited until after they were married to piss her off?

He asked her to wait before she heard him get out of the car and moments later her door opened and he reached for her hand to help her out of the car. They walked a good twenty feet or so on a surprisingly dry surface before he stopped her and moved away for a moment before he was picking her up and carrying her for another thirty feet.

His hands were shaking as he untied the blindfold and let it fall away and she quickly took in her surroundings.

"Please tell me you didn't do what I think you did," Mikaela knew, of course, by the look on his face and the fact that they were standing in a gorgeous—and very empty—foyer.

"I did," Sam said softly.

"Damn it Sam!" This time there was no chance of her anger fading away.

"Just listen to me, okay?" He implored. "You promised remember?"

"How could you do this?" Angry tears pricked at her eyelids. "How could you do something like this without even asking me?"

"Baby, listen to me!" Sam repeated and tried to take her hand but she swatted it away. Mikaela gave him one last scathing look before stalking out the front door.

She was fumbling with the door handle and banging on the window ordering Bee to unlock the door when he raced after her to the car. His arms locked around her waist and she fought with all her might to shove him away from her.

"Mikaela, please, just hear me out okay?" He begged softly against her ear.

"We were supposed to do this together!" She cried and spun around to look at him brokenly. "This should've been something we experienced together! Newlyweds buying their first house? Now we we'll never get to do that because you're an insensitive jackass and you went off and did it all on your own without even saying a word to me!"

"Will you please just come inside and let me explain?" Even in her heavy coat, she was still shivering from the cold weather. "You promised you'd let me explain why I did it."

Mikaela rolled her eyes exasperatedly and went back inside without so much as glancing at him. He was quick to follow her and kept a small distance between them as he hurried to explain before she could go off on him all over again.

"I get that you're upset, and I know I went about this all the wrong way but we have talked about it before," She cut him off before he could keep going.

"We never talked about actually going out and doing it!"

"I know that!" He raked his hand through his hair in frustration. "I know that, okay? I never fully committed to doing this. I was just talking to a realtor, exploring some possibilities, but I never set out to do this behind your back. I know how much you wanted to do this together, and I didn't intend to do this without you."

"Then why the fuck did you?"

"The realtor called me one day and wanted to know if I was interested in looking at a couple houses," Sam answered simply. "She knew I wasn't sure I was ready to buy yet, but she thought this would give me some idea as to what we wanted and what she needed to be looking for."

"You didn't think at that point maybe you should've told me?"

"No. I thought maybe we'd look at a couple and then when you and I were ready it would make it that much easier."

"And yet you still managed to buy a fucking mansion without ever once saying a damn word to me," Mikaela grew angry all over again. "How many times do I have to beg you to not go out and throw your money away like it's nothing? How long is it going to be before you get it through your hard ass fucking head that I hate feeling like you think you need to buy my love? Do you have any clue how much that hurts me Sam? Do you have any clue how many nights I lay awake in bed while you're asleep wondering what I'm doing so wrong that you think you have to buy me all these things when I know in my heart I'm gonna love you 'til the day I die regardless of the car I drive or where we live? God, Sam, I know you mean well but you make me feel like the worst person alive when you do things like this."

"I love you. And I _know_ you love me," He said adamantly and laced their fingers together. "I'm sorry you feel like that baby. I know it's not true. You and me, we've got that forever kind of thing. I'm not ever gonna let you go."

"Then why do you keep doing this?" Mikaela's voice cracked from the tears that started falling some time during her tirade moments ago.

"Don't you want to know why I did this?" Sam asked.

"Did you not listen to anything I just said?"

"I heard everything you said, but I want you to ask me."

"Okay Sam," She said patronizingly. "Why did you go out and buy _us_ a house without ever consulting your future _wife_?"

"Because the moment I walked in this house, all I could see was our future," He said softly and cupped her cheek. "We've talked about our dream home and this one is everything you described and so much more. The thing is, I had to see it twice before I realized that. The first time I saw the house, my mind flashed with pictures of us as a family. Baby, I saw you and me…and I saw kids. I can't wait to start a family with you. I can't wait for the day you tell me I'm gonna be a daddy. I can't wait to see how breathtaking you're gonna look when you're pregnant. I can't wait to bring you and our child home for the first time. I saw all those moments and so many more as soon as I came in that front door. I knew it was a risk doing this without you, but the only thing that's ever felt more right was asking you to spend the rest of your life with me. There was no way I couldn't not do it even though I knew you were going to be furious."

"You're making it really hard to be mad at you Sam Witwicky," Mikaela whispered.

"I love you more than I could ever say and everything I do, I do because I want to. I know you don't expect it and I know you don't like it, but I'll do everything in my power to make you the happiest you can be. If it hurts you that bad, I'll start eating Cracker Jacks and give you the prizes. I just love to see that smile on your face that's all," Sam touched his lips to hers in an emotional kiss. "Please just walk around with me and see the house for yourself. If you hate it, I'll sell it for half the price and we can start all over again and do it together."

"I don't need to; I feel it too. The moment you walk through that door, you just know in your heart this is home," Her arms slithered around his neck. "Just promise me you have no more expensive surprises?"

"Would this be a bad time to mention we're going to Cabo for our honeymoon?" He looked nervous again. "It was meant to be another surprise, but it's not too late to change it if you think it's too much."

"I should say yes, but you know how much I've always wanted to go there," Her fingers played with the hair at the nape of his neck and she pecked his lips. "I can't wait to spend two weeks in Cabo San Lucas with my husband."

"I'm still torn on whether I'm more excited to be your husband or for our wedding night," Sam said cheekily and she hit him on the chest.

"You're still just mad that the last time we had sex was at the party 'cause I told you I wanted to wait," She smirked at the sheepish look that formed on his face.

"I can't help it that you're gorgeous and I can't keep my hands off you," He defended himself. "Now do you want to take a look around and see the rest of the house?"

They started with the basement as it was the only part of the house that had been a huge part of what he'd wanted in their house. The rest of it was more for her than him although he couldn't deny the beauty of the house.

Cliché as it was, she was the exact image of a kid on Christmas morning. With every new room they saw, her eyes lit up in excitement and happiness. She was dragging him all over the place and he let her inspect every nook and cranny she wanted to but he was anxious for her to see the second floor.

The kitchen blew her mind and Sam just had to laugh at her face because he knew she wasn't exactly a world class chef. Mikaela enjoyed cooking and she was good at it but even she would admit she had a limited repertoire.

"This is amazing Sam," She said and gave him a soft smile.

"Ready to see the second floor?" He took her hand and guided her up one flight of stairs.

At the top step, he stopped and allowed her to go around him to take in the layout she thought only existed in her mind. A gasp escaped her lips and that was the moment he knew without a doubt his decision to buy the house without telling her was the right one.

It took no time at all for her to open the doors to the master bedroom and he finally moved from his spot to follow her. She barely glanced in the other bedroom and he chuckled to himself about her obvious disinterest in it compared to the master bedroom and sitting area. No words were spoken between the couple as he waited for her to finish the tour.

Mikaela couldn't believe he'd done this, but at the same time she completely understood it. When he described the feelings he got, she'd felt the exact same way. Of course she would have loved for them to do it together, but it still would've been this house in the end. There was no escaping that everything about this house just screamed _home_ for the soon-to-be family.

"Oh my God," Her voice was no more than a whisper as she stood in front of her fiancée after thoroughly exploring the bathroom and closet. "I love it. It's perfect!"

"I know we talked about paying someone else to do the decorating, but what do you say we do that together after the wedding and honeymoon?" Sam slipped his hands around her smaller ones. "Just you and me—as a family."

"I can't wait," Mikaela leaned up on her toes to peck his lips. "But you're still in trouble mister."

* * *

Mikaela's house was packed full of all of their friends. Their flight had landed that afternoon and they'd gone straight to Sam's parents' house for a relaxing cookout before heading to her house for a good night's rest. The next three days were packed full of things to do from early in the morning until late at night but everybody was psyched for the insanity that was sure to come.

Christian and Leo had been given Mikaela's old bedroom turned guest room, Balie and Andy shared the third bedroom, and Rachel was bunking in the living room with Colton, Tyler, and Tate. She and Tyler were sharing the sofa bed while Tate had the recliner and Colton was stuck on an air mattress shoved into the corner of the room.

When Mikaela had told her friend she'd have to share with one of the three guys, nobody had been the least bit surprised when Tyler was her choice. They'd been dancing around the idea of sleeping together for as long as anyone could remember but they were also close friends as well.

The moon was high in the sky that night as all but two of the friends slept. Everyone else slept soundly, completely oblivious to the secret that was about to be revealed and the fear that would come from it and the way it would affect so many of their lives in the coming months.

A simple text message saying nothing more than '_I need you_' led two of them to sneaking out onto the back porch far away from any ears that could overhear what was about to be said should one of the others wake up for some random reason.

"Are you okay?" Tension filled the air as it became obvious how nervous they were to reveal the thought that had been consuming every waking thought for the last month.

"I wasn't going to say anything. With everything going on and how busy we've been, I thought it was best to keep quiet. I know it's only a couple days away, but I have to tell someone because I have no clue what I'm going to do," As their eyes adjusted to the darkness surrounding them, they made contact before one of them broke the gaze to look up at the stars in the night sky. Being so close to LA and all that smog, it wasn't often that the stars were so visible but it was gorgeous when they were.

"What's going on?"

"I think I'm pregnant," The voice cracked on the final word. "I haven't taken a test or anything but I have this gut feeling that I am. I just _know_ it. I've never been late in my life until now, I've been feeling like crap and every morning for the last two weeks I wake up and I'm running to the bathroom to puke, and I'm craving things I've never really liked."

"Have you said anything to him?"

"No. How am I supposed to tell him I'm pregnant? How am I supposed to look him in the eye and tell him life as we know it is over? It's already changed so much and now this? This is the last thing we needed right now, but it's happening and I feel so lost. We've talked about having kids but it was always in the future when we were both done with school—not when we're in the middle of it!"

"Okay, calm down. It's gonna be okay," An arm reached out to pull the other close. "If anybody can handle this, it's you two. You two were made for each other, you've been through so much already, and I know he's gonna be excited."

"I'm scared. I should've gone to the doctor weeks ago, but there's this part of me that keeps hoping it's all in my head even though I know without a doubt it's not. I'm freakin' _pregnant_ and neither of us is old enough to drink!"

"I know you're scared, but you're not alone. We're all gonna be here for you every step of the way. Why haven't you said anything before now?"

"Because of the wedding," She said and squeezed her eyes shut to keep the tears at bay. "We've both been so caught up with all the last minute stuff that it never felt like it was the right time to say anything."

"Here's what we're gonna do, okay? When we all get back home and after the honeymoon, we'll go buy one of those tests. I'll be there with you when you take it and I'll hold your hand the whole time if that's what you need. If it comes out positive, you're gonna make an appointment to see the doctor and we'll go get a real test done. If that one's positive too, then we can worry about what you're going to do and how you're gonna tell him. Until then, I want you to promise me you won't spend the next two and a half weeks stressing yourself out about it," There was a slight nod of agreement but she couldn't find it in herself to speak.

The air was still thick with the heaviness of the situation, but for the first time in a month she felt better about her potential pregnancy. She still knew in her heart that there was a baby growing inside her, but it was such a relief to finally talk to her best friend about it. Because of the honeymoon, it would still be a little bit before she knew for sure what was going on but at least now she had someone to share it with. Not worrying about it and thinking about it constantly until then would be hard, but at least now she knew she had someone by her side.

It was crazy to think that in less than a year, there'd be a baby in the house and for the first time she was glad they would be living alone. She hated the fact that they would no longer be living with their best friends but both couples plus a baby in that house would be way too cramped.

"I love you, you know that right?"They wrapped their arms around each other in a tight hug. "I can't imagine not having you in my life the past year and a half. You're the best friend in the world and you're going to be the best godmother ever."

"Really?" Even in the dark, she saw the other girl's face light up with pure happiness. "Oh my God! I'm so excited, I can't wait!"

She was right, of course. Everything would work out just fine. Their group of friends would be totally supportive and there for them the entire way. He might be shocked at first and obviously scared out of his mind, but she knew he was going to be excited once the news sunk in and she couldn't wait to start a family with him even if the timing was all wrong.

Maybe they were still just kids, but they'd had to grow up fast with everything they'd all gone through over the last year. If they could make it through that, having a baby couldn't possibly tear them apart.

Life was about to change and nothing would ever be the same, but she loved that man with all her heart and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't excited at the thought that they'd created a life together.

Besides, if the last year had taught her _anything_, it was that as soon as everything went back to normal something huge always seemed to happen to shake it up again. At least this time it would be a baby instead of a kidnapping.


	38. I'm still alive!

I _cannot _believe it's been almost a year since I've updated. I'm not even sure anyone is still reading this, but I'm bound and determined to finish it, if only because it was such a huge part of my life at one point and got me through so much. That being said, it may end sooner than I originally planned for it to but it will be completed.

You would think after all this time I would have chapters finished, but no—unfortunately, I am still trying to finish chapter 38. The document is open on my laptop as I type this up right now. I haven't forgotten this story or just tossed it aside and decided to abandon it. The past six months have been insane.

I don't know how many people will read this, but I feel like it needs to be said. Not just to explain my lengthy absence, but also because I need to do my part to help raise awareness for a disease that is far more common and ignored than anybody wants to admit.

You see, I'm anorexic and bulimic. I spent time in a treatment center earlier this year finally getting help after trying to hide just how bad it was for the last year. Technically I've had my eating disorders since I was 19 (I turned 23 two months ago), but nobody knew until last year. Honestly I have no clue how _nobody_ knew because I lost over 120 pounds strictly from this—no dieting, no exercising. I was officially diagnosed last fall. I say "officially" because we kind of knew, but I was borderline alcohol dependent at the point in time and it wasn't until I quit drinking that the eating disorders fully surfaced.

I don't say this to gain pity or attention from anyone—in fact, I'd be content if nobody knew. However, I know first hand the hell this disease causes. It robs you of _life_. You can't think, can't focus, can't remember anything, have no strength to do anything, and above all you're lying and manipulating to the people you love the most. Nobody ever expected it to be me with an eating disorder. I knew in the back of my head that something wasn't right for a long time before I ever admitted it to anyone. Having to look your own mother in the eye and tell her you're starving yourself or that you want to throw up what you eat is a conversation _nobody_ wants to have. I had that conversation almost a year ago. Five months after that, I was purging and a month and a half later I was so far gone I told my mom that this was going to kill me and I didn't care anymore. Eating disorders are not a choice, they are a disease. Just like nobody chooses to have a mental illness like depression or bipolar disorder, nobody chooses to destroy their body the way only anorexia or bulimia does. These diseases are very, very similar to alcoholism. Yes, one does make a conscious choice in the beginning but at some point it takes over and you can't just choose to stop.

My point is this: if you suspect anyone you know could be starving themselves and/or binging/purging, DO SOMETHING. This disease kills women and men. Some of the most amazing people I've ever met are the ones I met while I was in treatment. I can tell you right now if I had walked by any one of them on the street prior to going to treatment, I would have never guessed they suffered. These people are some of the strongest, smartest, beautiful women in the world. This disease targets the characteristics we often strive to have—determination, motivation, intelligence. That's how we get away with it so well.

Without help, eating disorders will kill a person. It's a very slow, very painful form of suicide. Society encourages this. Society encourages this distorted view of perfection and beauty that is destroying not just my generation, but the younger one as well as those before me. I saw adolescents and mothers while I was in treatment. Girls from the ages of 12 years old to mid-40s. We _need_ to raise awareness. We _need _to save all these lives that are being destroyed by the very society that should protect them and remind them _every day_ that they are beautiful no matter how they look. We are not a nation of clones, we are a nation of individuals whose beauty and inherent uniqueness make them so incredibly special and we should _**embrace**_ that.

Now that I'm off my soapbox, the chapter should be up soon!

Brittany…I know I never emailed you back the last time you emailed me (pretty sure it was in November), but hopefully this explains why! So very sorry m'dear, hope you'll forgive me!


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